Dark Past, Bright Future
by AshleySue
Summary: After recognizing Godric during the events in Dallas, Sookie returns to Louisiana and must choose between Bill, Godric, and Eric. Full summary inside.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N I'm terrible at writing summaries, so don't judge the whole story on the stupid little summary blurb. Basically, after rescuing each other at the fellowship, Sookie realizes that Godric was someone she used to know and had basically fallen in love with, but thought had been killed in an accident. After everything that went down in Dallas, after returning home, Sookie has to decide if she wants to stay with Bill, or choose Godric, or even Eric, to be with. The main reason I'm writing this is because a friend challenged me to write a Godric/Sookie piece, because there's not many out there. This is my first attempt at putting Sookie with anyone other than Eric. However, I couldn't NOT put Eric in it, and since I can't bring myself to pair him without anyone else, it will also be my first vampwich attempt as well. Rated M for language and future lemons.**

**I own ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. That achievement goes to Charlaine Harris, Alan Ball, and HBO. I've taken a lot of dialog directly from the show.**

I felt the tension whoosh out of my body as it was replaced by relief. It was over. The humans and vampires were all making their way out of the Fellowship of the Sun. No one had been killed. No one had even been hurt. Well, not including the painful paintball shots Steve Newlin took, and the now-healed silver burns Eric had had to endure.

I heard Jason say my name, and I turned from Bill's arms and hugged my brother. I was so glad to see him. But, at the same time, I was pissed as all hell. What had he been thinking? Just as I was about to ask, I saw Godric approach us out of the corner of my eye.

"Mr. Compton, I wonder if you would be so good as to escort Mr. Stackhouse back to my home? I would like a word in private with his sister." I could see that Bill really didn't want to do it, but, couldn't see a way around it. He did, however, give Eric a very ugly look when he passed him on his way outside.

Godric took my hand and led me out of the sanctuary and toward the exit. Once he knew we were out of Reverend Newlin's hearing range, he looked at me, and said, "Sookie, I know you're probably upset with me."

"Upset doesn't even **begin** to describe how I feel right now, Godric. I thought you were dead. Do you know what that did to me? And now, to find out what and who you **truly** are? Was everything you ever told me a lie?"

He stopped walking, and put his hands on my shoulders. "I was told to keep my identity from you. You were so young, so innocent, so naïve. You wouldn't have understood if I'd try to tell you the truth."

"Hang on, back up a minute; did you say you were** told** to keep your identity from me? Does that mean that you were only with me because you were under orders to be?"

"I was told to watch over you and protect you for a short time. I could have done that from the shadows and never revealed myself to you. But the more I watched you, the more I wanted to know you. To speak with you. To be a part of your world."

By this time, we had reached the home that the Dallas vampires used as their nest. I could tell that Godric wanted to continue our conversation, but I was still very angry with him. "Godric, I'm going to go find Jason, get some clean clothes, and try to calm myself down. Maybe once I've had a chance to process everything that's happened in the past 24 hours, we can talk about this some more. But, to be honest, I don't even know if it's worth it."

I turned and walked away from him, and I could tell by the look on his face that he was very disappointed. Well, he wasn't the only one. But, I wasn't just disappointed; I was very angry, and very hurt. The brief time I'd spent with him years ago had been the best of my life, up until the time I'd met Bill.

Bill. How was I going to explain this to him? What would I tell him?_ 'Oh, honey, by the way, I've met Godric before. Only, it was before the great revelation and I had no idea that he wasn't human. I spent every evening with him one summer. He was my first kiss, and at the time I thought he was my first love. But then there was this big car accident, and I thought he'd been killed; but that obviously was faked because here he is, and now I know that he's a 2000 year old vampire.'_ It was not a conversation I was looking forward to.

Just as I was beginning to get hold of myself, I saw Eric approaching me. I tried to turn and walk away so I could avoid him, but he reached out and took my hand. I noticed that there was a female vampire with him, and he simply told me that she would show me where I could find something to change into, and then he walked away. I thanked the vampire, she said her name was Beth, and went with her to get out of my ripped dress.

I began scanning the room for Jason once I'd returned, and found him standing in front of an entry way, attempting to flirt with a pretty-looking female vampire. I started to make my way toward them, but was stopped abruptly when Bill came to stand in my way.

"There you are darling."

"Oh, so **now** you were looking for me? You've avoided being alone with me all night."

"Nonsense. It's just that, with all the commotion there's hardly been time."

"Bill, I was in that basement for two days, you don't even wanna know what almost happened to me down there. Where were you?"

"Sookie, it's…"

"It's complicated is not an answer. Every time I've needed you, you've always come runnin'. Even in broad daylight. What kept you?"

He looked very frustrated as he tried to answer me. "I...I was held."

"Held? Like kidnapped? By who? By Eric?" I felt my anger rise. If he had anything to do with this…

"Mmm, I heard my name." Speak of the devil, and the devil appears. "I hope you are speaking well of me."

"Why should I? You let me walk into a trap."

"I regret that. If I had known it was a possibility…"

"You did know. But because it was Godric, you'd risk anything."

"The bond between a vampire and his maker is stronger than anything you can imagine. And as it seems that you and he are, _acquainted_, with one another, I would expect you to understand the amount of loyalty he inspires in those around him."

The look on Bill's face went from surly, to confused, to angry, when Eric said the word 'acquainted.' I was not ready to talk to Bill about this, and I was certainly **not** going to do it with Eric standing there listening. So, I did the same thing I do every time something happens I can't handle. I turned and walked away.

As I wound my way through the throngs of vampires in the home, searching for Jason, I once again was stopped by a vampire placing themselves directly in my path. She was tall and thin, and the screaming red dress she was wearing left little to the imagination.

"Hello there. I'm Lorena."

Years and years of Gran's teachings wouldn't allow me to be anything but cordial, so I smiled back and said, "Nice to meet you. I'm Sookie."

"Mmm, yes. You are what all the fuss is about." She didn't look so nice anymore.

"Excuse me?"

"Aren't you a morsel?" I felt a tingle of warning shoot up my spine.

"I'm sorry, who are you?"

"Well, we have a mutual friend."

Considering I knew only four others present, I guessed at whom she was referring. "Bill?"

"That's right. Funny he never mentioned me. I practically _made_ him what he is today." She was smiling down at me now, and I sick to the pit of stomach.

"Lorena!" Bill had come over from speaking with someone else. He did **not** look happy to see her, and even less so to see her speaking with me.

"Oh, hello darling," she said. Darling? What the hell? He's **my** boyfriend. "I was just getting to know your play thing. You always did like to prey on the innocent."

I looked to him for some sort of guidance in the situation. "Bill, is this your maker?"

"She released me years ago. She no longer has any hold over me." I could hear the anger in his voice, and even a small amount of fear. Apparently, she still held **something** over him.

She glanced at him and smiled. "Oh, I wouldn't say that." Her gaze returned to my face. "We had two marvelous nights in your hotel room." I was agitated enough at this point that I stood and took a step towards her.

"What?" I desperately hoped she was lying.

She turned to look at Bill again. "Did you know your boyfriend hit me over the head with a 52 inch plasma television tonight? Everyone says they're so thin and light, but let me tell you, when wielded properly, it's quite a weapon."

I looked at Bill in shock. "You did?"

His eyes wouldn't leave her. "Lorena, you need to leave."

"I hope he doesn't pull the same shenanigans with you. There's no excuse for domestic violence."

"What she has failed to mention is that she was holding me prisoner." Bill was still looking at her while he said this. I couldn't tell if he was trying to convince me, or himself.

"We were just catching up is all," she said with mock Southern charm, returning her gaze to me. "You must've been worried sick. Wondering where he was." I took a moment to look him in the eye. Normally when Bill is mad at someone, he turns completely cold. It made me nervous to see fire in his eyes now. But, then she spoke again. "I admit, it got a bit…heated. But you know how old lovers can get sometimes." She reached out to stroke a hand down his face.

I'd had enough. I grabbed her hand before she could touch him. "Do not touch him." Okay, so, maybe it wasn't the best idea in the world to pick a fight with a vampire. But, I knew that Bill and Jason would surely protect me.

"My. We're _feisty_ too," she said. I'm sure she expected me to back down. But I did not. I stood, back straight, and kept eye contact with her.

She laughed at this. "You're no more than a blood bag. You cannot win this." So she thought.

"I've already won. Bill chose **me**. And yet, you still won't give up. Don't you have any shame?"

Bill suddenly seemed afraid for me. He grabbed my hand and said, "Sookie, stop!"

"I'd listen to him," Lorena countered. "Run away, little girl." She took a step away from me and tried to push herself against Bill. "William and I love each other."

He put his hands on her shoulders, pushing her from his body and said, "You've gone mad! Get out, now."

I didn't need him to fight my battles for me. "Maybe you do love him, who am I to guess? But he doesn't love you. He never has, and **that**, we both know." I may have gone too far, because she turned to me and her fangs ran out.

"Take those words back, or they shall be your last," she warned.

Bill stood between us and tried to push me towards the door, "We're leaving!"

But I wasn't finished with her, yet. I shoved back against him and yelled "Go find someone else you fucking bitch, you've lost this one!"

She reached across me, grabbed Bill's arm and threw him across the room. Then she grabbed me by the neck, pushed me onto my back on a table, and bent, her fangs going straight for my jugular. I closed my eyes and waited for the pain. But, it never came. When I opened my eyes again, I saw Godric standing next to me, Lorena's entire throat gripped tightly in his hand, as he forcefully pulled her back to a standing position, and caused her to take two steps away from me. His eyes held pure fury.

"Retract. Your. Fangs. Now." Lorena's fangs disappeared, but Godric did not loosen his hold on her. By this time, Bill had recovered himself, and pulled me up and into his arms. That's when I noticed that the entire house stood silent, watching our exchange. Eric stood at Godric's side.

Godric spoke again. "I neither know, nor care, who you are. But in this area, and certainly in this nest, I am the authority." He closed his eyes, and it was apparent that he was trying to hold back the raging beast clawing just behind his calm façade. "Do you understand?"

Lorena finally looked defeated. "Yes, sheriff." He paused a moment, and then let go of her throat.

He turned his attention to me, and in his eyes, I saw everything we once meant to each other. "This human has proven herself to be courageous. And a loyal friend to our kind." But then he looked at Lorena again, and the hatred once again took over his face. "And yet you treat her like a child does a dragonfly, pulling off wings for sport. No wonder they hate us."

Lorena unwisely spoke again. "She provoked me."

He leaned closer to her, and said, "And you provoke me. You disrupt the peace in my own home. I could snap you like a twig. But I haven't. Now, why is that?"

"It's your choice."

"Indeed it is. You're an old vampire, I can tell. You've had hundreds of years to better yourself, yet you haven't. You're still a savage. And I fear for **all** of us, humans and vampires, if this behavior persists." He shifted his gaze to take in the faces of all the vampires gathered in the room, making it clear that his message was for all, not just the woman he was standing in front of. "You," he said, turning and speaking directly to Bill. "You seem to know her?"

Bill looked as if he wanted to deny it, but would not lie. "Yes, Sheriff"

"Escort her from the nest." He returned his attention to Lorena. "I wish you out of my area before dawn." Lorena stood, and rather sheepishly, walked towards the door, Bill following close behind. Godric moved to stand next to me, and took my hand in his. "I believe you have been looking for your brother?"

I nodded my head, and he led me back to the area he'd been sitting in before. There, on a couch, sat Jason. I sat down next to him, and he put his arm around my shoulder and leaned over to press a kiss on the top of my head. We sat in companionable silence for a few minutes. I saw Bill walk back into the main room, and after looking to make sure I was alright, he began a conversation with a female vampire, who I thought looked a lot like Snow White. Godric sat in a chair near Jason and me, and although he opened a book, I knew he was not actually reading.

If I hadn't been in a part of the house where no one was talking, I probably wouldn't have heard _it_. But, I did. I stood, and moved to a different part of the room, and tilted my head, as if I was trying to fine tune a radio station. Godric's eyes followed me, and after a moment, he stood and came to stand directly behind me. After another moment of listening, I turned to face him, my eyes wide and full of fear. "They're everywhere. All around us." I knew I had to act fast. I turned my head to the main room, and yelled, "**HIT THE FLOOR!!" **The vampires did this without hesitation. And so, when the fellowship members surrounding the house opened fire, it was the humans who got hit first.

The moment the first shot rang out, using his vampiric strength and speed, Godric pushed both Jason and I to the floor, and flipped the couch over the top of us to help shield us. Jason looked in my eyes, waiting for me to signal it was all clear. We heard screams coming from all around us, as humans and vampires both felt the bullets pierce their flesh. A moment after the shooting stopped, I nodded to Jason, and he began pushing the couch off of us. We could hear growls coming from several vampires, and as they rushed out of the house, it was clear that they were giving chase to the many fellowship members who were now trying to flea in their vehicles.

"Bill! Bill!" I yelled for him, but I couldn't see Bill anywhere. I saw Eric standing up from the ground, and he nodded when he I asked if he was okay. I still couldn't see Bill anywhere though. I saw the female vampire he'd been speaking to just before the shooting started. She lay on the ground, a piece of splintered wood from a broken window protruding from her now disintegrating chest. It was in my search for Bill that I saw Godric, kneeling a few feet away from me, his back to me. I called his name, and walked to stand in front of him, and felt faint at what I saw.

His entire chest was covered in blood, and I could see silver sticking out of several wounds. "Eric, help me!" I yelled as I knelt next to Godric, who was now falling to lie on his back. Eric was at my side in an instant. "He needs blood, Sookie. The sooner the better." He stood and turned towards the kitchen, I assume to grab a bottle of True Blood. I didn't even think about what I was doing, I simply reacted. I grabbed a piece of broken glass off the floor, pushed my sleeve up to my elbow, and used the glass to slice open my arm just above the wrist. I pressed it to Godric's mouth, and plead with him to drink.

After a moment of hesitation, he opened his mouth and began to suck on the wound, wrapping one arm gently around my elbow, and the other around my waist. Eric was standing above and behind me, watching, but not doing anything to interfere. I watched in awe as the wounds on Godric's chest began to heal, pushing the silver out and onto the ground. Just as he stopped drinking and gently licked the wound to seal it, Bill walked back into the room, looking positively rosy. He must have joined the others as they went after the shooters.

"Sookie?!? You let him feed off you?" He looked extremely angry.

"Bill, he pushed Jason and I out of the way, he took the bullets that would've hit us!"

"You are mine, Sookie. No other vampire can feed from you." Godric was still healing, but had removed his arms from around my body and was leaning up on his elbows. Bill walked around him and grabbed my arm, forcefully dragging me to my feet.

"We are leaving, now!"

I turned back to look at Jason, but Bill had apparently had enough. He yanked hard on my arm, and I screamed as I felt it pop and snap. I was fairly certain that it was dislocated, and most likely broken as well. In that instant, Godric was suddenly off of the floor, flying at Bill in rage. He held Bill off the ground up against a wall. "Do not touch her again," Godric snarled.

"She is mine. You had no right to feed off her."

"Sookie is her own. She belongs to no one. But, regardless who she makes the choice to be with, if you ever lay a hand on in her anger again, it **will** bring about your final death." Even with Godric in a weakened state, Bill was no match for his strength. Bill nodded that he understood, and Godric dropped him and turned back to me.

Isabel had made her way to us, and was sitting next to me, examining my arms. "Godric, it is both dislocated and broken. She either needs to be taken to the hospital, or to be healed."

Bill started to take a step towards me, raising his wrist to bite it, but Godric placed a hand on his chest and said, "Oh, no. I believe you have done enough for her for one night." Then, turning back to where I was sitting with Isabel, said, "Sookie, Eric will give you his blood to heal you."

"Why Eric? Why not you" I didn't understand why Godric wouldn't heal me himself.

"I am too weak from my injury. I cannot afford to loose anymore blood right now."

Bill began to protest, but a low growl rumbled through Godric's chest, and he remained silent. Isabel held my injured arm cradled against her body, as Eric crouched down next to me. "Sookie, I am very old, and my blood is very strong, so it will take very little to heal your arm, alright." I nodded, but grimaced when I heard him bite into the flesh on his wrist, then placed it to my mouth. I took one small swallow, and felt my shoulder suddenly pop again. After one more swallow, Eric removed his arm from my mouth.

Stan came to stand beside Godric, and simply nodded at him. "Everyone, please proceed to the Hotel Carmilla. They have been informed on what happened, and security is in place," Stan said, and several vampires began making their way towards the doors.

Once Godric had finally stepped away from him, Bill took a step towards me, held his hand out and said, "Sookie, come. We must go."

Eric stood, stepped between Bill and me and said, "Oh, I don't think so. She's not going anywhere with you after what just happened."

"Well, she's not going to stay with you, if that's what you're thinking," came Bill's reply.

Jason picked that moment to finally join in the conversation. "She'll stay with me for now. Once y'all wake up again then she can decide for herself who she wants to stick with from there."

Isabel helped me to my feet, and Godric leaned over and placed a chaste kiss to my lips. "I will come to you as soon as I rise." I just nodded, and followed Jason out the door.

"Sook, someday, you'll have to explain to me just what the hell that was all about." That's assuming I ever understand it myself, I thought.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N I guess I owe y'all an apology. I accidentally posted a VERY bad rough draft of this chapter, and had to go back and delete it and repost. I'm terribly sorry about the confusion. Thanks for all your wonderful reviews, keep 'em coming!!**

_As Godric and I lay next to each other on the lush green grass, taking in the beauty of the night sky, I felt him reach over and take my hand in his. I smiled to myself. During the past nine weeks, Godric and I had seen each other each and every evening. It took two weeks before he'd held my hand, another before he began ending our evenings with a hug goodnight, and another two again before he asked if he could kiss me. He was so sweet and respectful, always asking before taking any physical liberties. That's one of the things I loved most about him. But, I'd made the decision that the time for being tentative was over. I knew what, or to be more specific, __**who**__, I wanted. _

"_Godric?"_

"_Yes, gorgeous?" I blushed at his compliment. He chuckled._

"_My Grandmother is leaving tomorrow for New Orleans, and she is going to be gone for a few days."_

"_Yes, you've mentioned that before."_

"_Well, I was wondering, if, maybe you'd like to come and stay the night with me." I felt my 'Crazy Sookie' smile making an appearance on my features._

_He stayed still and silent for a moment, and I began to feel the pain of rejection. But then, he turned onto his side, looked deeply into my eyes, before leaning down and kissing me softly, romantically. "I'll tell you what, I will come over, and we'll play it by ear, is that alright?" I knew that this was his way of leaving an out for me, just in case I changed my mind. We'd talked about sex once before, and he told me that although he desired me, he had no intention of pressuring me into doing something before I was positive I was completely ready._

_I smiled, and nodded my head. Just as he was helping me to my feet, his cell phone rang in his pocket. He didn't look happy as he read the caller id, and motioned for me that he would need to take the call. I started slowly walking back to his car as he paced while talking on the phone. Another minute passed before he hung up and came walking towards me, looking agitated._

"_Sookie, something's come up. I'm sorry, but, I think we're going to have to call it a night. Come on, I'll drive you home." The ride back to my home from the park was silent. I could tell that something was bothering him. What could the phone call have been about that agitated him so? _

_When we reached my house, he walked me to the door. Just as I was raising my arms to give him a hug, he placed both of his hands on my cheeks, stroking my face with his thumbs. He leaned into me, and pressed a soft, slow kiss to my mouth. "I love you, Sookie." I was stunned. He'd never said that before. I must've still been in shock at his words, because he turned to leave. When he was halfway down the steps, I called out to him. "Godric? I'll see you tomorrow, right?" He turned and smiled, and then left. I went inside, joy flooding my entire soul, knowing that tomorrow, I would be able to show Godric, both with words and actions, that I loved him as well._

_The next afternoon, I was lying on my lounge chair in the front yard, trying to improve upon my tan, believing that Godric would be seeing all of me that night. Tara came running up to me, grabbed my hand, and ran with me inside, telling me I needed to see what was on the news. There had been a terrible car accident just outside of Shreveport. A driver in a tanker truck hauling diesel fuel had lost control and crashed into another vehicle. The impact of the vehicles had started a spark, and the fuel in the truck exploded. The truck driver had been able to get out in time, but the driver of the other car had been trapped inside. It was Godric's car. Godric was dead. _

I shot up to a sitting position, screaming, confused and disoriented. It had all just been a dream. I was in my room at the Hotel Carmilla in Dallas. Not only was Godric alive (well, sort of), but he was also a very old vampire, sheriff of the area, and Eric's maker.

There was a knock at the door, and I heard Jason's voice asking if I was okay, and if he could come in. I told him to come on in, and the door burst open.

"Are you okay, Sook? What the hell happened?" He still looked exhausted, and I was sure he'd hadn't slept so great either.

"I'm fine, Jason. I'm sorry; it was just a bad dream."

He came and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Was it really him, Sookie? Godric? Is he really the same guy you spent all that time with right after you graduated?"

I was surprised Jason remembered. He'd only met Godric once, and I was pretty sure he was drunk at the time. "Yeah, it is. I never suspected he wasn't normal at the time. I can't believe I was so stupid."

Jason looked like he was going to say something, but then the room phone rang. I looked at the clock, wondering who would be calling our room during the daytime. I was shocked to see that it was already 7pm. The sun had already set, and the vampires would have risen.

"Sookie, you're awake?" It was Godric.

"I am, I just woke up a few minutes ago." Having just dreamt about him, and now hearing his voice, I felt a familiar tug at my heart.

"I hope you were able to rest well?" I could tell he was grasping at straws, trying to have a reason to speak with me, but I just wasn't in the mood at the moment.

"Yes, thank you. So, what's on the agenda for this evening?"

"The American Vampire League is sending someone to address the situation, and wishes to meet with Eric, Isabel, Mr. Compton and I at 10pm. Although you are human, I would be more comfortable if you were there. I do not want you to be on your own without one of us to guard you while other vampires are roaming about."

"Fine. 10pm, which room?" I was ready for this conversation to end. I felt in desperate need of a shower, coffee, and food.

"Eric's suite. It is directly across the hall from…."

"Yes, I'm aware; it's across the hall from mine and Bill's room. I'll see you later, goodbye." I hung up, not really caring whether or not I was being rude.

I stood up and walked into the main living area of the hotel room, where Jason sat, looking excitedly at the room-service menu. He turned to me and said, "Bill came by and brought some of your stuff. He said we could go ahead and order some food and charge it to the room, and it'd be taken care of! How sweet is that?"

"Well, since he's putting all charges on **Eric's** credit card, probably not as sweet as he made it sound." I paused for a moment, suddenly aware at the flutter I felt in my stomach at the thought of Eric. "Jason, I'm gonna take a shower. Would you order me some coffee and toast, please?"

I didn't wait for an answer. I just picked up the small bag of clothing and toiletries and locked myself in the bathroom. I felt myself begin to relax as the hot water soothed my muscles. It had been a long couple of days. Because I'd taken some of Eric's blood to heal my shoulder, none of the bruises or cuts and scrapes Gabe had given me in the basement of the fellowship had left even the slightest mark. I once again felt heat pool in my stomach as I thought of Eric. What the hell? This had never happened before. I mean, yes, he's nice to look at, but he's always been such a jerk to me. Why in the world would I suddenly be thinking about him, and getting tingly in all kinds of places I should only get tingly in when thinking about Bill?

Bill. Now there was another problem to deal with. I could forgive him for being upset that I allowed Godric to have my blood. But, once I told him that Godric had received his injuries while saving MY life, he should've dropped his argument. The fact that not only did he continue to push the issue, but hurt me in the process, well, that complicated an already difficult situation.

After I was dressed and had my hair dried and pulled up, I went back to the living room to eat. I wasn't at all surprised to see Bill there waiting for me. He stood, but I ignored him, grabbed some coffee, and sat down to eat my toast. Jason must've picked up on the tension, because he mumbled something about finding someone and left.

"Sookie, I realize that you are very upset with me right now," Bill began. Huh, ya think? "I know that I acted improperly last night. I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I am that you were hurt. With everything that had happened, and the smell of blood so overwhelming in the room, I was unable to control myself."

"Bill, I can forgive you for being mad that I gave someone else my blood. I could even, eventually, forgive you for hurting my arm. But, you need to remember that, even though we are together, you do not **own** me. I don't belong to anyone. It was my choice to give Godric my blood. He took bullets that were meant for Jason and I, and he was in pain. If giving him a small amount of my blood could make that pain go away, then it was the least I could do."

"I know. You were trying just trying to be helpful, which is your nature. I believe that I acted as I did out of sheer jealousy. After hearing Eric say that you and Godric already knew each other, and seeing the way Godric looks at you, I lost my temper." What was he talking about? How had Godric been looking at me? He couldn't still care for me. **He's** the one who left **me**.

"Bill, yes, Godric and I knew each other years ago. Yes, I cared for him. But then he lied to me. He made me believe he was dead, and it tore me apart. Godric is my past, Bill, **you** are my future."

He held my hands and gazed into my eyes for a moment. "I just wish now that it hadn't happened, especially since you were forced to drink Eric's blood."

"What will that do to me? I mean, besides the fact that it healed my injury."

"Well, for starters, because he is so old, your senses will be heightened for a time. You'll be faster, stronger, and, most likely others will find you more attractive. Also, he will be able to get a sense of your state of mind, and your location. Which, in all honesty, could be a positive thing if you were ever in trouble and I was unable to assist you." All of this I already knew, but I could tell he was holding something back. "And, also, don't be surprised if you find yourself attracted to him. Sexually."

"To Eric? That's impossible." Even as I said the words, I knew it wasn't. Hadn't I just been thinking about him? As I washed myself in the shower, hadn't I been wondering what it would feel like to have his hands on my body?

"Unfortunately, it is **very** possible, Sookie. And I am very sorry that I put you in that position."

There was a knock at the door, and I have to admit, I was glad for the interruption. I didn't want to talk to Bill about whether or not I was sexually attracted to Eric. Hell, I didn't even want to analyze that myself just now.

I opened the door, and was pleased to see my visitor. "Isabel, please come in."

She thanked me, and took a step inside, but did not shut the door behind her. She nodded to Bill. "I wanted to stop by before the meeting to see how you were feeling. It was been quite a long few days for you, I'm sure."

"Oh, I'm just fine. Honestly though, I was worried about you. How are you handling everything that happened with Hugo?" I saw pain flash in her eyes at the mention of his name.

"I am…coping. It is hard enough to have a relationship end, but, knowing that because of his feelings for me, he betrayed us all…It is not something I was prepared for."

"Isabel, none of us prepare for something like that. I'm a telepath and if I didn't see it coming, I don't know how you could have." I knew she was being harder on herself that she needed to be, and wished I knew of a way to comfort her.

Comforting Isabel, however, would have to wait til later. Godric chose that moment to step into my hotel room. "Good evening, Sookie. I was wondering if I might have a word with you, in private. I believe I owe you an explanation." I know I should've said no. But, as I looked in his eyes, I once again remembered that not only had he saved both Jason and I from being shot, but he had also prevented my rape. I owed him at least this chance to explain. I didn't have to like the explanation, but I had to let him say it just the same.

I nodded, turned to Bill and said, "Bill, could you give us some privacy please?" It would have been impossible **not** to notice the look of intense rage on Bill's face in that moment. I knew I would probably kick myself for this later, but, for now, all I wanted was to be alone with Godric.


	3. Chapter 3

I motioned for Godric to sit, but he waited until I had sat, and then took a spot next to me. He did, however, leave a fair amount of space between us, which I appreciated. He looked me square in the eye, and I took a deep breath in preparation for his story.

"Sookie, before I can explain what happened between us, you must first understand how the vampire hierarchy works. As you know, states are divided up into areas. There is a sheriff in each area, who is the authority there. But, beyond that, each state has its own monarch. All of the sheriff's report to their respective king and queen. The American Vampire League is something slightly different. They basically deal with the human aspects only. They do not have more authority that Sheriffs, however, we are often subject to their scrutiny. The highest authority in this country is the Magister. Even Kings and Queens must obey him, and he is the only one who can punish them for any reason." He paused for a moment to make sure I understood all of this, and I nodded for him to continue.

"It was very difficult for vampires to exist in American culture before the great revelation. For our own survival, it was imperative that no humans became aware of our existence. If there was ever any suspicion that this could possibly happen, the Magister would assign a vampire to assess whether or not the human was dangerous, and then wait for judgment. Unfortunately, **you** were one of these humans.

"At the time, I was not Sheriff of this area. I was offered the position several times over, but did not desire it. The Magister approached me, and said that he had learned of a telepathic human in Louisiana, and that, if this human could read vampire minds, it could mean the death of us all. He explained to me that this human, well, you, were an 18 year old female, and that I was being chosen because I was the only vampire who could pass for a human, around your same age, that could be trusted. My job was to discover if you could hear vampire minds, and inform the Magister of my findings.

"I knew that you could not read my mind before I actually ever met you. I would place myself close to you in public places, and think very violent thoughts, and yet you would have no reaction. After I had been watching you for a week, I knew we had no reason to fear you, and told the Magister as much. He told me I was free to return home, but, something compelled me to stay. I was no longer there on orders when you and I first met. I found myself wanting to spend time with you, and, by the time I came to the realization of what I felt, I was already completely and irrevocably in love with you."

He paused at this. At first, I wasn't exactly sure as to why, but, the cold trickle I felt on my cheek let me know. He stopped because I was crying. I once again motioned for him to continue.

"The vampire who was sheriff in this area at that time was beginning to loose control of his underlings. So, the Magister called and told me that I had no choice but to return and assume the position myself. That is the phone call that I got our final night together. He told me that, in order to best keep our secret, I would need to fake my death, so that you would not try to find me after I'd left.

"I did not want to leave you. I did not want you to suffer and be in pain, thinking I'd died. I thought that I was doing the right thing by telling you I loved you that last night, but, I realize now that I was simply making mourning that much more difficult for you.

"Not long after I returned, Japanese scientists perfected their synthetic blood, and we announced our presence to the world. I considered contacting you. I even stayed in Shreveport for a while with Eric, watching you from a distance, trying to figure out if it would be right of me to be with you again. Knowing how people treated you your entire life because of your telepathy, I could not condemn you to even harsher treatment by being a vampire's lover. So, I told Eric that there was a telepathic human in his area that I cared for, and that if he should hear of any harm coming to someone who matched that description, to protect her at all costs. I did not reveal your name to him though, because I did not want him to be tempted to exploit you for his own use.

"After the incident with Long Shadow at his bar, Eric contacted me and said that he knew who you were, and that you were in a relationship with another vampire. He said that this vampire loved you, and that you seemed to return his love. I was glad that you were happy, but, came to realize my mistake in not revealing myself to you. Had I done so, who knows, maybe we would've been together.

"Not long after, Isabel contacted Eric to let him know that I was missing. Because he knew me better than any other vampire, when he learned of the circumstances of my 'abduction,' he came to the obvious conclusion of what had truly happened." Now I was genuinely surprised. Godric wasn't really kidnapped?

"He knew that, in my anguish over loosing you, I gave myself to the fellowship, wishing to end my existence. That is why he enlisted your help in finding me. He knew that you were the only person who could make me change my mind."

My tears began to fall more heavily now. "Godric, please tell me that's not true. Why would you wish to end yourself simply because I was with someone else?"

"Sookie, vampires do not love easily. I have been alive for over 2000 years, and I have never felt as strongly about anyone as I do you. I knew that I never would. Life suddenly didn't seem so important anymore. Even now, as I see you happy, I am prepared to continue on with my original plan."

And that's where I drew the line. I moved from my seat as quick as I could, knelt in front of him, and took his hands in mine. "Godric, no. Last time you died, it took me 5 years to recover from the heartbreak. If I thought you were gone again, knowing that I could've stopped it, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. Please, Godric. Stay. Live. For me. For Eric." I couldn't believe I was begging him not to end it all. Whether or not I could admit it to him, I couldn't lie to myself. I was still in love with him.

"Sookie, the most I can do is promise is that I will try. I will try to learn to love life again. But, in return, can I ask you for something as well?"

"Of course," I smiled through my tears.

"Search your heart. Search your soul. Make sure that he really is the one you want to be with." I didn't have the chance to respond, because he leaned down and placed a kiss on my forehead, and then left.

I certainly had a lot to think about. My first true love, who I thought was dead, was here and still wanted to be with me. My first lover, who I **knew** was dead (hardy har har), claimed to love me, but had broken my arm and dislocated my shoulder in a fit of jealousy. Not to mention, I was suddenly having odd sexual fantasies about an entirely **different** man, who I used to detest, but was oddly starting to grow on me. And even better yet, was the fact that in just a few minutes, I had to go to a meeting and sit in a room with all three of them at the same time! This was a mess.

I was in a complete daze as I made my way to Eric's room. I wasn't sure what to do, or how to feel. I heard voices as I got closer to the room, and looked up to see Isabel and Stan softly arguing in the hallway. When they knew I was within hearing distance of them, Stan turned to me. "Miss Stackhouse. I wanted to tell you that, I was wrong about you. I thought that no human could ever be any good to a vampire, other than as food. However, you have done a great service to all of us here in Dallas. I won't pretend to like you, because I think you'd see right through that, but, I most certainly do respect you." With that, he turned and walked away.

I must've looked quite shocked, because Isabel softly laughed. "That's probably the biggest compliment Stan's given a human in over 200 years!" She reached out and took my hand in hers. "I don't want you to think that I'm over-stepping my bounds, but, I wanted to say something to you. Godric has told me of your history together. I know that he does truly love you. And, even if you cannot feel the same for him, I am grateful that you saved him."

I was about to say something in response, but the door to the room was flung open, and Eric stood in front of us. He looked at Isabel and made a motion with his head that she was to go into the room, but he stood in my way. "We need to talk," he told me. The last thing I wanted was another long discussion with a male vampire who made my pulse race. Hadn't I been through enough yet? "After the meeting, could you please set aside a few minutes? It's important." I nodded, knowing I'd most likely come to regret it. "Good. Now come, we're about to get started." He led me into the main living area in his room. Godric, Isabel, and Bill were already there, as well as two vampires I didn't know. This must've been the contingent from the AVL. I immediately recognized Nan Flanagan from all the times I'd seen her on TV.

"Alright, let's get this over with, shall we?" Nan seemed agitated that she had to be here. She turned her attention to Godric. "Sheriff, although we do recognize that you are not directly to blame for the attack on your nest, it has been decided that you will be removed from your position. We cannot allow a vampire to stay in power when he was shown enough weakness by allowing humans to take him prisoner." Godric nodded, as if he expected this. "However, we do respect your authority, and would ask that you name your own successor." She paused a moment, waiting for him to name the new Sheriff.

"I believe that Isabel should lead," he said. Isabel looked shocked. "She is well-respected in the area, and it will make the transition go smoother."

"Fine enough," came Nan's reply. "Next on the agenda. Mr. Compton, the Magister believes that you have failed in your task and asks that you return to New Orleans immediately." This shocked me. What did Bill have to do with any of this? I opened my mouth to ask a question, but Eric caught my eye and shook his head, letting me know it would be unwise to speak up.

"I do not believe that this changes anything. I have not failed," Bill said vehemently.

"Well, good thing it's not your opinion that matters. You were sent to Bon Temps to secure the telepath for our exclusive use, and to protect her. Since that time, she has been closer to death than she ever was before you were sent there. Her protection is now being handed over to your sheriff. You will report to your Queen's compound in no more than 48 hours. That is everything I came for."

She stood, and left without another word. Not that I would've heard anything she'd said if she had spoken. I was too much in shock at what had just happened. I felt my breathing speed up, and thought I might hyperventilate. Godric was at my side in no time, whispering to me softly, trying to help me calm my breathing down before I passed out.

Bill stood and faced me. "Sookie, please, I can explain everything if you just…"

"No." I said softly. Then, more forcefully, "**No**. You lied to me. I don't want to see you anymore. Ever. Please just go." He made a movement toward me, but took a quick step back when both Godric and Eric bared their fangs and snarled.

After Bill exited the room, I stood, grabbed a bottle of water from the mini bar, and gulped it down. Turning to Eric, I said, "I suppose that had something to do with what you wanted to speak to me about?" He nodded. I laughed, shocking everyone in the room. "Never would I expect to have the opportunity to say these words. But, Eric, I do believe that you are the only vampire who has been completely up front and honest with me about what his intentions towards me are."


	4. Chapter 4

I was still trying to wrap my head around what had happened two hours later while Eric was on the phone with Pam, making travel arrangements for our return to Louisiana. He asked her to arrange for transportation for two vampires and two humans to Shreveport as close to first dark as possible the following evening. This confused me. Why would Eric be arranging for Bill to return to Shreveport?

Godric, who was sitting on a couch going over some paperwork with Isabel, must have read my confusion. He came to sit with me, taking my hands in his. "Sookie, do not be afraid, Bill is not returning to Shreveport with you. The other vampire Eric is arranging transportation for is me. It will be easier for Isabel to assert her authority here if I am gone." I nodded, understanding perfectly. Of course Godric would want to make the transition as smooth as possible for Isabel. My heart had wished there was another reason, but, I was going to push that aside for now.

"I have a strong desire to be completely open and truthful with you, so, I should tell you that there is also another reason for my staying with Eric." I held my breath, hoping that his reason was exactly what I wanted it to be. "Sookie, I am hoping that you will allow me to spend time with you again. I would like to resume our courtship, if it's alright with you." His hands were still holding mine, and his thumb was lightly stroking my skin. His touch still thrilled me as much now as it had when we were together before.

"Godric, I'd like that. But, can we take things slowly, please? You have to remember that my relationship with Bill has just ended, and that it was never what I thought it to be. My heart needs some time to recover from that."

"Of course, dear one. You need to allow your wounds to heal. I will be for you whatever you want me to be. Whether that be a friend, or in time, a lover." I felt my pulse speed up when he said 'lover,' and I knew that both he and Eric made a mental note of it.

As I thought once more of Bill, and how he had lied and manipulated me, I felt tears begin to fall down my cheeks. I did not want to cry for him. I did not want to mourn for the loss of my relationship with him. I didn't want to feel this upset about the passing of something that was never truly there to begin with. But, it **had** been real. At least, for me it had been.

Once Eric finished his phone call, he wrote down the flight information, and said he was going to go find Jason and give it to him, so he'd be prepared. As he was opening the door to leave the room, I said, "Eric, wait!" He stopped and turned to me. "I'd like to go with you, if that's okay. I want to talk to him for just a minute so he better understands what's going on. Besides, I could use the walk to calm my nerves a bit." He nodded, and waited as I stood, kissed Godric lightly on the mouth, and walked out the door.

As we walked together down the hallway towards Jason's room, I reached out and looped my hand around Eric's arm. He put his other hand on mine, and looked down at me and smiled slightly. "I am sorry that I did not get the chance you tell you before the meeting that your, uh, 'protection' was being handed to me. If you would prefer to have Godric act as your guardian, you need only to say." I could hear the slight disappointment in his voice.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that, Eric. I meant what I said earlier about you being the only one who's always been completely up front and honest with me about what you want from me."

"True. Although, I wouldn't exactly say that my intentions were _honorable_ in any way," he leered and waggled his eyebrows at me. I laughed.

"Well, I think they are. I find honesty to be a **very** honorable trait. I know that I can trust you to keep me safe. I was really hoping that you'd agree to take on the task."

By that time, we had reached Jason's room, and Eric indicated that he would wait in the hallway for me while I spoke to my brother. I went inside, and explained to him that we would be returning to Bon Temps the next day, and told him about our flight. I did my best to explain to him what had happened at the meeting, as far as my relationship with Bill was concerned, and that Eric had been appointment my guardian.

"Are you sure that's what you want, Sook? I mean, no offense to Godric or Eric, but, haven't you been through enough thanks to the vamps?" I knew he meant well.

"I understand what you mean, Jason. But, the thing is, now that we know that the fellowship, and other vampires out there **know** about my, uh, disability, they're going to try and take me to bend me to their will. No matter if I want to continue to be involved with vampire politics or not, I need their protection. I know that with Eric and Godric both protecting me, I'll be safe. And they'll be keeping an eye on you, too, by the way."

Jason looked a little nervous about this. I had seen him exchange some words with Eric back at Godric's place before the shooting started, and I wondered if this had anything to do with that. "Jason, I just mean that, Steve Newlin is probably **not** happy with you right now. I know that you can take care of yourself, but, if some rogue fellowship fanatic decided to try and get back at you, it'd be nice to have the vampires backing you up, wouldn't it?"

"That's true. I may not necessarily like them, but, if there's going to be a fight, I'd rather have them on my side."

I left Jason's room and went back to the hall to once again join Eric. He was leaning against a wall, in down time. When he saw me, he didn't move, he didn't speak; he just watched me. I couldn't help but feel desire slowly creeping up on me. He **was** the most handsome man I'd ever known. And, when you have someone that beautiful, looking at you like a man who had been in the desert for years would look at a glass of water, you can't help but react. Without realizing I was doing it, I moved to stand directly in front of him. I felt my pulse and breathing speed up as he brought his hand up to my face. He pushed a lock of hair behind my ear, and cupped my cheek with his palm. I closed my eyes at the feeling of his skin on mine, and leaned into him further. I felt his thumb stroke my lower lip, and surprised by my own daring, I parted my lips slightly and sucked his thumb into my mouth, biting it gently with my teeth. I heard a low rumbling from his chest, and looked up at him. He was going to kiss me, and I wanted him to more than I probably should have.

At the last possible second before our lips touched, we were interrupted by the sound of a familiar voice calling my name. Nothing could kill my desire for Eric as much as hearing **that** voice say my name.

Turning to look at him, I asked, "What do you want, Bill? I told you I didn't want to speak to you ever again." I felt Eric move to stand directly behind me. I leaned back into him, both for comfort and protection, and he wrapped his arms around my abdomen. I knew that he was trying to remind me that he was there to keep me safe, but, I knew he was also doing it to remind Bill that I was no longer his.

"Sookie, I realize that you said you didn't want anything to do with me, but, as I am to go straight to New Orleans, I was wondering if you might be willing to do a couple of things for me once you return to Bon Temps."

I didn't want to do anything for him that would help make his life easier. "And just what would that be, Bill?"

"Well, Jessica has already returned to Bon Temps with Hoyt, and I was wondering if you might check in on her. I also was wondering if I could tell her that should she need anything, she can come to you." That was just about the only thing I'd do for him. Simply because I wouldn't be doing it for him, but for Jessica.

"I can do that." He took a set of keys from his pocket, and held them out to me.

"These are the spare set of keys to my car. Could you give these to her so that she can use it should the need arise?"

I nodded, and reached out to take the keys from him. He made an attempt to take hold of my hand, but, with a flash of white, Eric's hand took mine and pulled it back in to my body.

"So you're with Eric now, Sookie? If anything, I thought you were turn to Godric. But, I'm forgetting you've had his blood recently. Of course you're attracted to him right now. I wouldn't be surprised if he'd planned this all along."

That made me angry. With Eric's arms still wrapped around me, I leaned forward at Bill in anger, "Bill, the only reason I needed Eric's blood is because **you** broke my arm and dislocated my shoulder! How could he have planned that?" Leaning my torso forward had caused me, more or less, to push my butt closer to Eric. It obviously had an effect on him as I felt him growing hard against me.

"Yes, well, even if it wasn't planned, it proves that he's just opportunistic scum."

Apparently, Eric had decided he'd had enough. "Compton, I'd watch my step if I were you. Are you forgetting that you fed Sookie a large quantity of your own blood after you'd only known her for one night?"

Bill looked shocked. He hadn't thought Eric had known about that. "She had been severely beaten. She would've died without it."

"Yes, how convenient. Are we to assume then that her being attacked by two drainers who had tried to kill you is simply a coincidence? That's hard to swallow, considering that they only had the chance to get to her because **you** were late in meeting her, thereby leaving her alone in the middle of the night."

"Sookie, are you listening to him? Think about how absurd what he's saying is. I would never have allowed you to get hurt simply so you would need my blood. He **cannot** be trusted!" Bill was grasping at straws, knowing he had no reasonable response to give Eric.

"No, Bill, you're the one who can't be trusted. Eric has always been completely honest with me. Just because I may not have liked what he said, doesn't make it less than true. But you've lied to me over and over again. You lied about why you came to Bon Temps, being punished for staking Long Shadow, and Jessica's very existence just to name a few! I can't trust a single word that comes out of your mouth. My life probably would've been better off if I had left you for Eric the first time you took me to Fangtasia!" I hadn't realized I thought that until I'd said it out loud. But, now that I'd said it, I knew it to be true.

The meaning of this statement wasn't lost on Eric. I felt him loosen his hold on me, and he turned me in his arms, looking deeply into my eyes. I could see the question in them, and I responded by parting my lips slightly. Before I had a chance to analyze what was going to happen, Eric's lips were on mine. I groaned in pure pleasure as I felt his tongue push against mine, and his arms tighten around me. After another moment, I finally pulled away from his kiss, but only because I needed oxygen! Turning, I noticed that Bill had left.

I turned my attention back to Eric when he softly chuckled and said, "Sookie, you're such a little tease."

I smiled back. "Who said I'm just teasing?"

He smirked and raised one eyebrow. "Are you offering yourself to me? After your conversation with Godric earlier, I wouldn't have thought so."

"Eric," I began, "I honestly don't know what I want right now. I'm not saying take me now, but, I'm also not saying it'll never happen. All I know is that I feel a tremendous pull towards both you **and** Godric. After what happened with Bill, I'm not ready to jump right in to something new with someone, but, I'm open to exploring my feelings for both of you."

He looked at me for a moment, almost as if he was analyzing my words. He nodded, once again took my hand in his, and led me back to his suite. When we walked in, Isabel had left, but Godric was standing at the window, looking out over Dallas. He didn't need to look at us to know who it was, he just simply said, "This city has been my home for so many years, I am sad to leave it behind. But, it is time to move on." He turned, and I saw him look at my arm, only just then realizing I was still holding Eric's hand.

I let go of Eric, walked over to Godric, and put my arms around him, hugging him to me. I took a moment and whispered in his ear the same thing I'd told Eric about exploring a relationship with each of them. I pulled back, and he smiled at me. Just as I was about to smile back, I yawned loudly. "You're exhausted, darling. You need to rest. Why don't you get changed, and you can sleep here tonight." I was completely exhausted, and just nodded, not wanting to argue with him about staying in the room that he and Eric were now sharing.

I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face, and changed into a pair of cotton shorts and a camisole. I wondered idly what the sleeping arrangements would be. There were two beds in the room, but somehow, I couldn't picture me sleeping in one, and Godric and Eric sharing the other.

When I exited the bathroom, I saw that Godric was still wearing the tan colored linen pants he'd been in earlier, but he had removed his shirt. Eric was also topless, wearing only a pair of lounge pants. Now this just wasn't fair. How did they expect me to get any sleep with both of their bare chests just begging for me to look at them, to touch them? Part of me wondered if they'd planned this all along! I giggled, and it caused both of them to turn to me.

I walked to where they had both been standing, and realized how much I admired both of them. I put my arms around Godric's neck, and leaned in to kiss him. He must have thought this was just going to be a chaste goodnight kiss, and seemed slightly shocked when I tightened my hold on him and deepened the kiss. His arms wrapped around my waist, and he pressed his body into mine. After another moment, I ended the kiss, and brushed my lips across the tip of his nose. I then turned to Eric, and did the same with him. He, however, didn't hesitate, and immediately pulled my body closer to his, and let gently squeezed my butt with one of his hands. After the kiss ended, I turned and walked back towards the bed. When I was halfway there, I stopped, looked over my shoulder at them and asked, "Aren't you going to join me?"

They each looked both excited and confused at the same time. Finally, Eric broke the awkward moment by asking, "Which one of us are you asking?"

"Both, of course." I winked, and laughed when they both beat me to the bed using their vampiric speed. I pushed Eric to lie on his back, and snuggled up close to him, resting my head on his chest. I reached out with my hand for Godric, and he answered my unspoken request by lying behind me, pressing his chest to my back, spooning me. If you'd asked me before this night if I ever imagined myself falling asleep while cuddling with two beautiful, half naked vampires, I would've laughed in your face. But that's exactly what I proceeded to do.

**Sorry about posting this a little later than usual, I wasn't feeling too great last night and went to bed before I had it finished. But, I should be able to get the next chapter up before I go to bed tonight. The next chapter will include their return to Bon Temps, so I might as well point out right now, that I'm ignoring the whole Maryann storyline, and instead using what happened with the maenad in the book. For those of you unfamiliar with it, Sookie WAS attacked by a maenad in the woods between Bon Temps and Shreveport, and Bill did have to take her to Eric, and she did have to be healed by Dr. Ludwig. However, the maenad is not some crazy psycho lady trying to meet her God. She just wants to be paid tribute, because she feels that all violence that comes from over-indulgence in alcohol belongs to her. They'll deal with her once they get back, but it won't be nearly as awful as it was in True Blood. Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review and send me your thoughts!!!**


	5. Chapter 5

It was a beautiful, sunny day, and I was sunbathing. I was lying on my stomach on a beach towel, and I figured I must be in Hawaii, because I remembered seeing a picture of this place once before, and I think it was on a postcard. I was on soft ground, next to a beautiful lake, where a waterfall was pouring water down from a cliff face. I felt movement next to me, and turned my head to see Eric rubbing tanning oil on my back. He, of course, was not wearing a shirt. That's when I realized that I wasn't wearing a top at all, either! I felt movement at my other side, turned, and was a little shocked to see Godric sitting next to me, with a bowl of fruit. He was also topless, and began picking up pieces of succulent looking berries and placing them in my mouth. I was just beginning to wonder why the sun wasn't burning them to a crisp when I heard a strange pounding noise. I closed my eyes, trying to shut the noise out. But, when I opened my eyes again, I was back in bed in Dallas, with Godric and Eric still cuddled up to me. Damn, it had only been a dream. But, I could still hear the pounding. It took me a moment before I realized it was someone knocking at the door.

I hastily stood, threw on a robe, and answered the door. It was Jason.

"Hey, Sook. Sorry, didn't mean to wake you up. I was just wondering if maybe you'd like to go downstairs and get something to eat with me before we get ready to fly back home?"

I glanced down at my watch. It was 3pm, and our flight was at 8. "Sure, just give me a minute to get changed. Come on in and have a seat." I quickly walked back to the bedroom, grabbed some jeans and a t-shirt, and went into the bathroom to change and freshen up. When I left the bathroom again, I found Jason standing in the doorway of the bedroom, looking at the bed trying **really** hard not to laugh. I followed his gaze, and found it difficult to keep myself from laughing as well. In my absence, Godric and Eric had shifted their bodies, and now, unbeknownst to them, were spooning each other. I had to cover my mouth with my hand to stifle a giggle.

Once Jason and I had moved to the living room and shut the bedroom door, we both laughed out loud. "**Please** tell me they didn't spend the entire day like that, Sook," Jason said. I knew he found it funny, but also intimidating. He's a bit of a homophobe.

"No, that must've just happened. Actually, the way they spent the majority of the time was with me in between them." I saw the shock on Jason's face, and said, "Oh, no, Jason. Nothing happened! I was just upset about what had happened with Bill, and they were both very supportive and wanted to comfort me." It was good I'd had so much practice hiding what I really felt. Comfort and support hadn't been part of it, whatsoever.

Jason and I went down to the little café on the main floor. Jason ordered a coke and a burger, but, I couldn't bring myself to do that first thing when I woke up, so I just had a cup of coffee, some toast and fruit. When the waiter brought the fruit, and I noticed it was a mixture of strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, I blushed, remembering my dream. Thankfully, Jason didn't notice, or, if he did, he chose to ignore it.

I asked him why he felt so compelled to join the Fellowship of the Sun, and he related to me his story about being visited in jail, and then meeting Steve and Sarah Newlin for the first time. He told me all about the other people he'd met at his "leadership retreat," and how gung-ho they were about "eradicating the demon scum from our planet."

When I asked him how he was able to pay for the retreat, and he answered that he used the money that Uncle Bartlett had left me in his will, I became very upset. Not at my brother, because it truly wasn't his fault. I became even madder at Bill. If Bill hadn't killed my Uncle, Jason would've have been here. That got me to thinking, if Bill never came to Bon Temps, Gran would still be alive, as well. Now, I know that I can't blame Bill for Gran's death, because, after all, he wasn't the one who killed her. But, if he hadn't been trying to befriend her in order to win favor with me, she'd probably still be alive.

Once Jason and I had finished eating, I went back upstairs to my room to shower and get ready for the flight home. I was only a little surprised to find Godric and Eric still in the same position I'd left them in. Part of me wished I'd had a camera. I couldn't help but think that Pam would get a kick out of seeing them like this. I went into the bathroom and started the shower, and while I waited a minute for the water to heat up, went back to the bedroom. I gently crawled onto the bed, and placed a kiss on each of their lips. Because of the way his pants were sitting, it was easy to see that my kiss had affected Eric's body, even when he was asleep. I grinned to myself, hoping I would get to see Godric's reaction when he woke up to find Eric's erection pressing into his butt.

I quickly showered, dried my hair, and slapped on some make-up. I was disappointed to see that my two vampires were no longer cuddling with each other when I left the bathroom. Eric had rolled to his back, and there was a small amount of space between the two of them. I thought of how inviting that amount of space looked, and crawled in between then once again. As soon as I settled there, Eric turned again, and pulled my body close to his, spooning me from behind. Godric must have also sensed my presence, because he turned to face me, and placed a hand on my hip.

I must've fallen asleep again, because next thing I knew, I felt Eric nuzzling me through my hair, placing small kisses on the back of neck, and Godric was absently moving his hand up and down my arm. I smiled and opened my eyes when Godric placed a kiss to my lips. "Well hello there," he said.

"Mmmm," was all I could manage to say, because now **I** was the one who could feel Eric's erection against my butt. I leaned my head back into him a little, and he kissed my cheek. "I could **definitely** get used to waking up like this," I mumbled. I heard both of them softly chuckle. I had an inner debate with myself about whether or not I should tell them of their little cuddle session, but opted not to.

After another few minutes of enjoying the closeness, Eric rose, and went into the bathroom. I heard water running, and assumed he was taking a shower. Part of me was thrilling at the thought of Eric being on the other side of a door, completely naked and dripping wet, but I was too comfortable lying in Godric's arms to move.

"I take it by your change of clothing that you've already been out and about a bit today?" He asked after another few minutes passed.

"Yeah, Jason came by and we went downstairs and got something to eat together."

"You two seem to have a closer relationship now than you did when we first met," he mentioned.

"Yeah. I think a few things caused that. First off, him almost getting sent to prison for murder, and me almost getting killed kinda made us put things in perspective. But, also, loosing Gran really made both of us realize that we're all we have left." I felt tears pooling in my eyes thinking about my Grandmother.

"Yes, Eric told me of what happened. I'm so very sorry, Sookie. I know how important she was to you. I didn't get the chance to know her well while we were seeing each other, but, from what I could see, she was a wonderful woman."

I felt a single tear spill over and slide down my cheek, and had a moment of pure lust when Godric's tongue darted out to catch it. When our eyes met again, he must've read exactly what I was feeling, because before I had time to react, he was rolling on top of me, kissing me heatedly. I put my arms around his neck and held him close, not wanting this feeling to ever end. His hand gripped the underside of my knee and pulled my leg up to hitch on his hip. Once my leg was secured around him, he moved his hand to slide underneath my shirt, and began massaging my breast, rubbing his thumb over my nipple through my bra. I was so lost to the sensations he was giving me, that I didn't even notice when the bathroom door opened and Eric walked back into the room. I did, however, feel the bed move when he lowered his body onto it, and moved to lie next to me.

After another moment, Godric pulled his lips from mine, and leaned back to look at me, and then turned to Eric. "Eric, would you like to take over while I shower?" I couldn't believe my ears. Was Godric really asking Eric to make out with me?

"I thought you'd never ask," Eric answered with a smile. Godric leaned in and kissed me quickly once more, and then stood. If I was amazed that Godric had asked Eric to do this, I was even more amazed when he stood there and watched Eric roll on top of me and capture my mouth with his. It's hard not to focus completely on Eric when he's kissing you, but somehow, I managed to keep my eyes on Godric for a second longer, and I saw him smile broadly as he left us.

It became apparent immediately how differently Godric and Eric kissed. Godric was always focused on my mouth, but Eric's lips almost immediately left mine and began traveling down my jaw to my neck. He also had hitched one of my legs around his waist, but after a moment, he pulled the other around him as well, and slowly began to grind himself into my center. He lowered his mouth to lick and suck on my nipple through the lace on my bra. I was so lost in the sensations I was feeling that I completely lost all sense of time. Just as I was feeling Eric's hand move to undo the button on my jeans, I heard Godric clearing his throat from where he was standing next to the bed.

"As much as I hate to end the fun, and believe me, I do, we need to be on our way to the airport if we're going to make our flight." Eric slowly raised himself off of me, and winked as he helped me stand. I was still in complete shock at what was happening. I had just broken up with Bill, and had figured that it would take a long time for me to heal and move on, but here I was, not 24 hours later, getting dangerously close to have sex with two vampires, in the same bed, practically at the same time! I laughed when I thought what my friends back in Bon Temps would say!

A few hours later, we were collecting our baggage and exiting the Shreveport airport. I was glad that Eric had been able to get us a nighttime flight. Being only the second time I'd been on an airplane, I was glad to have Godric, Eric, and Jason all there with me to reassure me that the plane wasn't going to crash when we hit turbulence. Pam was there to give us a ride home, since Eric's car wasn't there, since he'd simply flown himself to Dallas when he'd left. Jason slid into the front seat of the black Escalade, and I sat in back between Eric and Godric. I was wondering if having them both with me was something I'd need to get used to. I knew it was something I was beginning to enjoy.

We dropped Jason off first, and I got out of the SUV to give him a tight hug before we left. I told him I'd call him the next day, and we made tentative plans to have lunch together one day soon. Once I was settled in between Godric and Eric again, Eric let Pam know that we needed to stop at Bill's place to check on Jessica and drop off Bill's spare keys to her.

We had pulled up to Bill's house, and Jessica had just answered the door when something caught my attention. Godric and Eric both seemed suddenly agitated, and lifted their noses to the air, smelling for something. I heard Eric say "smoke," and say Godric nod his head in acknowledgement. I saw Godric turn and begin running towards the cemetery, and was shocked when Eric picked me up bridal style and began running after Godric. The thrill I had at being in Eric's arm running at breakneck speed quickly vanished when we came into a clearing. There was my home, completely engulfed in flames.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/NI should probably tell you a few things before we dive right in. In this story, Eric did NOT have Lafayette tortured and hidden in his basement for weeks. Lafayette is NOT selling vampire blood for Eric, Pam, the Queen, or anyone else. Tara and her mother did NOT have some freaky exorcism in the woods. There was no dead body found in Andy's car outside of Merlotte's. Tara's mother was an alcoholic, but she's not around anymore. Tara and Lafayette are cousins, though. So, basically, it's like it is in the book, except Tara and Lafayette are related, and Lafayette wasn't killed. And now, on with the show!!**

I squirmed in Eric's arms until he lowered me to the ground, but, wisely as it turns out, kept his arms wrapped around my middle. If they hadn't been there, I would've ran headlong into the flames to find some way to save my home. No, not my home. Gran's home. I could live without all of my personal possessions that were now burning, but, everything I had left of my Grandmother was in there.

I only vaguely registered the sounds of sirens coming closer as a fire engine came down my drive. A man I recognized, but was too shocked to think of who he was, asked me if anyone was inside. I told him I wasn't sure, but that there shouldn't be. He asked if there was a propane tank, and I told him that there was one in the back. The firemen immediately went to work, but I knew they wouldn't be able to save my house. At this point, they were just going to try to control the flames before they had a chance to spread into the woods and beyond.

Another few cars came into the yard, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bud Dearborn and Andy Bellefleur coming towards me. "Sookie, are you alright?" Andy asked. I wasn't one of his favorite people, but, I knew he wouldn't want for me to be burned alive in my own home.

When I opened my mouth to answer him, nothing came out. Eric, with his arms still around me, took it upon himself to answer since I couldn't. "She wasn't here when the fire started. We just got a flight back from Dallas, and were at the Compton house when we smelt the smoke and came to investigate."

"And who exactly are you?" Bud Dearborn must have figured out that Eric was a vampire, because he was using that rude, condescending tone I've only heard him use when addressing Bill.

"My name is Eric Northman; I'm a _good friend_ of Sookie's." I noticed he put an interesting emphasis on the words 'good friend.' It occurred to me that I had no idea how exactly to describe my connection to Godric and Eric now. When I thought about each one individually, I felt secure in calling them my boyfriend. But, having both of them around, well, I wasn't sure what would work. I knew I couldn't tell people they were my lovers. For one, my sex life wasn't anybody's business. But, to be technical, they actually **weren't** my lovers. Well, not yet anyway.

"Yes, well, just where **is** Mr. Compton this evening?" Sheriff Dearborn asked.

"He's going to be staying in New Orleans for a little while." This came from Jessica. Obviously she had already spoken with Bill about his current situation.

"Well, Mr. Northman, if he's out of town, maybe you could tell me exactly what it was that you were doing at his place?" Sheriff Dearborn just wouldn't give up. He was bound and determined to blame a vampire for this fire.

"He gave me his spare set of car keys and asked me to drop them off, and to check on Jessica." It was obvious by the tone of his voice that Eric's patience was wearing thin.

"Ya know, Sheriff, it sure would be nice if you could stop harassing my friends and start trying to figure out who the hell burnt my house down." Apparently, I'd found my voice again.

"And just why is it that you believe that none of your _friends_ did this, Sookie?"

"Well, considering that Eric has been in my presence constantly for the last 24 hours, I'm fairly certain he wouldn't have had the opportunity to do this. And even if he **did** have the opportunity, he wouldn't have done it anyway."

"And just how do you know that? Vampires are capable of anything." Oh, you have no idea.

I turned to glare at him. "Sheriff, if you were in the process of trying to win a woman's heart, would you set her house on fire? Because I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be that stupid, and Eric is **definitely** smarter than you." I felt Eric's arms tighten around me just a bit, and heard Jessica snicker.

Godric was looking at me, and he seemed to be just a little disappointed. I realized how rude I'd been. "I'm sorry, Sheriff, that was rude and uncalled for. You'll have to forgive me, please. I'm just a little tired and overwhelmed right now. I know you're just trying to do your job to find out who could've done this."

I heard another car pulling down the drive, and turned to see Sam's truck. He, Tara, and Lafayette jumped out and came running up to me. Sam began asking questions first. "Sookie, are you okay? When did you get back? Do they know what started it?"

I was about to answer, but Tara's yelp stopped me. She was looking at Godric. Oh, crap, this is not how I wanted this to happen. Tara had hung around with Godric and me a few times when we dated in the past, and she still thought he was dead.

"What the fuck? How the hell? Holy Shit!" It seemed like she wasn't able to come up with a really coherent thought at that point.

I took her hand in mine, pulled her closer, and whispered that it was okay, I would explain everything to her soon. She pulled me in for a hug, and Eric finally released me from his arms.

I saw Eric say something to Sam, which seemed odd to me, because vampires and shifters don't normally get along. After a moment, Sam nodded, and Eric turned back to Bud Dearborn. "Sheriff, Sookie is going to be staying with me, and I'd like to get her home and into bed." I tried not to notice the smirk on his face when he mentioned getting me into bed. "You have her cell number should you need to contact her."

He took my hand in his, and led me away from the smoldering mess that used to be my home. I followed, dazed. Pam and Godric were right behind us, and a moment later, Eric looked back on his shoulder and said, "Jessica, come." She turned and followed as well without another word.

As we were getting closer to Bill's house, Eric pulled out his phone and dialed a number. A moment later, the call was answered. "Compton. When we arrived back in Bon Temps we found Sookie's house had been set on fire." Pause. "No, no one was inside when it happened." Pause. "Compton, don't forget that she is not your concern. Sookie is yours no longer. I only called to tell you that, for her own protection, I am having Jessica come stay at my place with Sookie. Until we know whether or not the fellowship was involved, I do not believe it is safe for Jessica to be this far away from town by herself." Pause. "No arguments, Bill." He hung up without another word.

I dropped Eric's hand and stopped moving for a moment. That's when it suddenly hit me. My home was gone. I had no place to live. I had no clothes. Everything I owned was gone. I felt knees give and I collapsed. Luckily, Godric was there in time to catch me, and he lifted me up in his arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and buried my face in his chest and cried.

When we got back to Bill's house, Godric sat down on a couch with me still in his lap while Jessica gathered her things. Eric paced back and forth making phone calls, and Pam was outside, I assume keeping watch. Godric kept stroking my hair, allowing me to soak his shirt in my tears. When my cell phone began ringing in my pocket, Godric reached in, grabbed it, and answered after checking the caller id.

"Jason, she's here. She's fine. I don't think she's capable of speaking right now." Pause. "No, we hadn't yet reached the house when the fire was started. We were at Bill's checking on Jessica." Pause. "We don't know who set the fire, but, for the time being, both Sookie and Jessica are going to be staying with us in Shreveport. If you have somewhere other than your own home you can stay, I suggest you do it." And he hung up.

As we were waiting for Jessica, Godric continued stroking my hair, and humming softly. I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew, I was being carried in his arms through a room I'd never seen before. It was a large, open room with floor to ceiling windows, all darkly tinted. The furniture looked very comfortable, and very expensive. In the back of my mind, I figured this must be Eric's home. We moved into a bedroom, and Godric sat me down on the bed. He lifted my arms and took my t-shirt off, and then my bra as well. I didn't have time to feel self-conscious about Godric seeing my bare breasts for the first time, because as soon as he had my bra off, he was putting a large, baggy, Fangtasia t-shirt on me instead. He moved me so that my head was on the pillows, and he pulled my jeans off. Eric walked in then, and brought a glass of water to me and told me to drink. I sat halfway up, gulped down the entire glass, and lay back down. Godric and Eric were standing a few feet away from the bed, speaking quietly to each other. After a couple of moments of conversation, Eric turned to look at me, and then returned his gaze to Godric and nodded. I closed my eyes again, and soon felt both of them coming to join me in the bed. Once again, I fell asleep between two half naked vampires. If this was becoming a habit, it was definitely one I didn't want to break. I had never felt safer, and more loved, than I did when I was lying with my vampires.

**A/NSorry this chapter is so short. If I wanted to make it longer, you would've had to wait longer to get it! I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N Awww...lemons lemons everywhere!**

I slept for hours. I knew it'd been no later than 4am when they'd put me to bed last night, and now looking down at my watch, I noticed it was already 6pm. The sun would be up soon, and so would Godric and Eric. I didn't want to move a muscle, but my bladder had other plans. I was glad that Eric had anticipated this need, because he'd left the door to the bathroom open, and there was a light on inside so I could find it easily. After I'd done my business and was getting ready to wash my hands, I noticed a brand new toothbrush and tube of toothpaste sitting on the sink, with a note from Eric saying they were for me. Well, that sure was thoughtful of him! Or, was he trying to ensure I didn't have morning breath when he woke up?

I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and finger combed my hair. Now that I felt a little more human, I went back to the bedroom and crawled back into the bed. For some reason, I decided that since last time I'd faced Godric when they woke, this time I would face Eric. I didn't go back to sleep, however, I did zone out and begin making mental lists of what would need to be done. I would need to speak with my insurance agent. I would need to find out if my car was damaged in the fire, since it was parked pretty close to the house in the back. I would need to talk to Sam about work. I'd need to buy new clothes. It was a good thing that Eric had promised to pay me $10,000 for going to Dallas, because, until I get a check from the insurance company, I'm going to need some cash. I knew that Godric and Eric would gladly buy me anything I needed, but, I didn't want them to have to. They'd done so much for me already.

I was brought back to the here and now when I noticed Eric's ice blue eyes watching me. I leaned in and put my forehead to his, and smiled weakly at him. "Thanks for the toothbrush," I said.

He laughed. "I can honestly say that I did not think that would be the first thing you'd say today. How are you feeling?"

"Oh, like my house just burnt down with everyone I own inside." I laughed dryly.

"No adverse affects of smoke inhalation?"

"No, I think I'm fine there. I'm just glad that no one got hurt. We're all lucky the fire didn't get to the propane tank. That would've been very bad."

He nodded slightly in agreement. He moved his hand up to cup my cheek. "Sookie, I'm so very sorry about your home. I wish we could've done something more to save it."

"I know. It's okay. I'm just grateful that you gave me a place to stay."

He raised one eyebrow. "How grateful are you?" he asked with a leer.

"See, now that kind of ruins it. You wouldn't want me to have sex with you just because I owe you."

"I don't really care why you have sex with me, just that you do it." He smiled, and kissed me deeply. That was the first moment that I **knew** my entire world had turned upside, because when Eric kissed me, I was so engrossed, I had completely forgotten that Godric was in the bed with us! Well, that is until I felt his arm snake around my body, and he pressed himself to me. I could feel his erection pushing against me.

As Eric was busy kissing my mouth, Godric was kissing the back of my neck and shoulders, and easing up the bottom of the shirt that, aside from my lace panties, was acting as my entire ensemble. I pulled my lips from Eric's and gasped in pleasure when I felt Godric's hand cup my bare breast. Godric shifted away from me just a bit, and put just a small amount of pressure on my shoulder, rolling me onto my back.

"Sookie, love, let go. Abandon your thoughts and let us help you feel better," Godric said. Before I had a chance to respond, he was kissing me, sucking my lower lip into his mouth, just as Eric began sucking on my earlobe. The feelings they were evoking in me made it easy to forget everything else, and I felt the tension leave my body as I let them have their way with me.

Godric broke our kiss, and reached to pull my shirt off, and then his mouth was back on mine, as Eric moved to his mouth to take in one of my nipples. I felt the sharp sting of his fangs, and knew that he was sucking more than just my skin. I put a hand on the back of his head, and wrapped his hair around my fingers, using just enough pressure to let him know that I didn't want him to stop. I heard a low, rumbling laugh coming from him, and knew he was pleased.

I was so lost to the pleasure they were giving me, that I lost track of who was doing what. I felt a hand make its way down my stomach, and underneath my panties. As the hand glided lower, I pushed my legs apart, more or less giving permission to do anything. That was when I discovered it was Godric's hand, because I heard him moan in pure delight. Just as his fingers found my nub, his mouth found my other breast. I bucked my hips, begging for more. Eric must've decided to give in to my unspoken request, because I felt his hand go into my panties as well. Just as I was wondering if they would survive the night, I felt Eric slip a finger inside me. I was no longer able to control myself. I only vaguely recalled that Jessica was probably somewhere in the house, and could probably hear me, but, at this moment, I couldn't have cared less. Never in my life had I experienced the amount of pleasure that these two beautiful creatures were giving me.

I felt a familiar tension building in my belly as Eric added a second finger, thrusting inside of me. Godric removed his mouth from my breast and said, "That's it, lover. Come for us." When I felt his fangs pierce my flesh, I was suddenly flying, experiencing the most powerful orgasm I'd ever had. In my many nights with Bill, I had never felt anything like this. Wave after wave of intense pleasure washed over me, to the point where I thought I might drown in it. When my breathing slowed down again to the point where I was capable of coherent thought, I gave each of them a quick kiss, and simply said, "thank you."

Eric rose first, and walked into what looked like a large closet. He emerged a few minutes later fully dressed. "Sookie, Pam and I have to take a trip into the woods between here and Bon Temps to leave a tribute for the maenad. Jessica stayed at Pam's last night, so she will go as well. I will meet you and Godric at Fangtasia in three hours. I left a message for your insurance agent to please fax over his findings to my office, so you can begin going over them tonight. I spoke with Sam, and he will allow you to have as much time off as you need. When Jessica packed her things, she brought some clothing of yours that was at Bill's house that you can use until you are able to shop for more." Part of me wanted to hit him for being so high-handed. But, after what he'd just done for me, I knew I couldn't. I leaned up off the bed and reached for him. When he came to me, he leaned down and I pulled his face to mine and kissed him hungrily. Without another word, he nodded at Godric, and left.

I turned to look at Godric, who was sitting against the headboard. He opened his arm to me, and I fell into his arms and cuddled up to him. "Darling, are you…alright…with what just happened?" He sounded nervous.

"Godric, I honestly don't know **what** to think about what just happened. I mean, I realize that it's perfectly normal to find more than one person attractive, but, never in my life did I ever think I'd have a physical relationship going on with two men at once. And I **especially** never imagined myself being in bed with them both at the same time. It's all just a little overwhelming for me."

He lightly stroked my back. "Sookie, first off, you need to remember that vampires look at relationships differently. For us, it is perfectly normal to have more than one lover at any given time. It is very clear to Eric and I that you have feelings for both of us. Because you have had his blood, he has a strong sense of your feelings. And, because I am his maker, I can feel that also. He and I are very similar in some ways, but very different in others. I honestly believe that if you could combine us into one being, we would be the perfect partner for you." We both laughed a little at this. "In that respect, I know that there are things that you need that I cannot provide, but that Eric can, and vice versa. We both want to see you happy, and be a part of whatever makes you happy. If you feel comfortable with it, we would both be honored to be your lovers. And, if you should ever decide that you wish to only be with one of us, the other would accept that."

"But aren't vampires usually really possessive? You know, the whole 'Sookie is mine,' thing? How would that work between the three of us?"

"Well, yes, I would like to be able to say that you are mine, and I know that Eric feels the same way. However, if it came down to either sharing you with Eric, or not have you at all, I'll gladly share. But, also, I know that I can trust Eric with you. I know that he will never hurt you, never make you do something you don't wish to, and that he would protect you with his own life. As much as I want you, and I want you to be happy, I also wish for **him** to be happy, and if him being with you is how that is accomplished, then so be it."

I could tell that he was being completely sincere. And, as odd as it all felt, with every word he said, I found the idea becoming more and more appealing. "What about blood exchanges? Don't vamps usually take blood during sex?"

"Yes, most do. And if you were with two younger vampires, it could become a very serious problem. However, Eric and I are both very old, and need very little blood to survive. Also, with age comes self control. During sex, we will definitely feel the desire to drink from you, but, we will also have the strength to resist."

We continued to hold each other in silence for a while. I'm certain that he knew I was thinking the entire situation over. "Sookie, there's no rush. You don't have to decide right away whether or not you want this."

As soon as he finished speaking, I knew what I wanted. My mind was made up. I turned so that I was halfway on top of him, and looking into his beautiful eyes, I whispered, "Godric, make love to me. Please."

He arms tightened around me, and he was kissing me. Every wonderful thing we'd done together, and felt for each other years ago was in that kiss. Considering what had happened in this very bed not too long ago, we both knew that there was really no need for a lot of preliminaries.

He rolled us so that he was on top of me, and he moved down my body, placing kisses every few inches as he removed my panties, and his own pants. As he made his way back up my body, I reveled in the fact that there was nothing between us now, we were skin to skin, everywhere. He leaned back just a bit, and brushed a stray lock of hair away from my face. I wrapped my legs around him, and tried to pull his head back to mine, but he hesitated for just a moment. He looked deep into my eyes and said, "Sookie, I love you. Much more than you know." And with that, he pushed inside me.

He kept his thrusts agonizingly slow, removing himself almost all the way before thrusting in completely each time. If my mouth had been free, I'm sure I would've been making quite the noises. But, he kept kissing me over and over, only giving me brief breaks to breath. Only when I felt myself getting closer and closer to release did he begin to speed up. Just when I thought I couldn't take anymore. I flicked my tongue across the tip of his fang, allowing my blood to swirl around his mouth. His thrusts became much harder, and within seconds, I was flying once again. He joined me on that flight not long afterwards.

Realizing that we needed to be getting to Fangtasia, I jumped in the shower while Godric grabbed the clothing Jessica had brought for me. Once we were both dressed, we led me to a garage that must've had at least 15 different vehicles in it. I smiled when he led me to a bullet bike. "You know, Jason always said he'd kill me before he'd let me ride one of these," I said when he handed me a helmet.

He smiled back. "Well, I guess we'll just have to keep this a secret then, won't we?" He obviously didn't need a helmet, but I was glad to see that he wore one anyway. It made the ride a little less stressful.

By the time we got to Fangtasia, Eric, Pam and Jessica had already returned from their woods excursion. Godric took me through the employee's entrance, and we went straight into Eric's office. My rumbling stomach was very happy to see that someone had been thoughtful enough to purchase me a salad and a soda, and I ate with gusto.

Once I had finished the salad, Eric showed me the paperwork that my insurance agent had faxed over. It seemed the house was a complete loss. Nothing, including my car, was salvageable. He was beginning to point out various items on the paperwork, and motioned for me to take a seat next to him. I did one better and walked over and plopped myself right in his lap. He wrapped one arm around my stomach, and began going over the paperwork. I both saw and felt him put his face close to me and inhale my scent, and I knew without a doubt that he'd figured out that Godric and I had had sex after he left.

Pam had taken Jessica out to the main bar area, but Godric was still in the office with us. I leaned forward, removing his arm with my waist, and turned to look him in the eyes. I put my hands on my face, and leaned close to whisper in his ear, even though it was unnecessary as Godric could still hear us anyway. "Eric, I know that you know I had sex with Godric. I can tell by the look on your face that you're disappointed. But don't go counting yourself out yet. I promise you, sometime in the next 24 hours, you and I will be alone in your bed, and there will be **nothing** to stop us." I felt his chest rumble with a growl, and he pulled me to him and kissed me roughly, passionately. I heard a soft chuckle coming from Godric, before a loud knock on the door ended the moment.

Eric ended the kiss and loudly said, "Enter," but continued to gaze into my eyes. Pam and Jessica walked in, and as I turned, I noticed that Jessica looked very agitated. Pam said, "Eric, you have a visitor."

As we watched the visitor walk into the office, I'm sure everyone in the room could feel the heat of rage coming off Godric, Eric, and myself. Eric stood, and gently pushed me behind him as if trying to protect me. "What in the hell do **you** want?"


	8. Chapter 8

At Eric's words, I heard the thoughts of pure fear and loathing running through the mind of the young man, Luke, I think Jason said his name was. I tried to push Eric to my side so that I could see around him, and Godric came to my other side, so they were standing in front of me, but with a space between them so I could see what was going on.

"He's here because he was given no other choice." That was a voice I recognized, but was hoping to never hear again. Stan sauntered into the office after Luke, smirking at the three of us and the way we were gathered together. "Well, Godric, I see you've not wasted any time making yourself at home here in your new area."

"Stan, what exactly is the meaning of this?" Eric asked with all the authority his position afforded him. He was definitely in full sheriff mode now.

"Believe it or not, this human came to **us**. He has some information that Isabel believed would be extremely valuable to you."

As soon as Stan had finished speaking, I heard in Luke's mind what he came to tell us. I put my hand over my heart, and gasped for air. Luckily, I was standing in front of Eric's chair, because my knees buckled and I fell directly into it. Jessica rushed to my side and took my hand in hers. For a moment, I was hurt that neither Godric nor Eric seemed to care about my reaction, but, I realized that none of us could afford for either of them show any weakness in front of our 'guests.'

"Speak, human, my patience is wearing thin." I'd never heard Godric sound more frightening, and I could tell that Luke felt it as well.

"It would do me no good to lie, so I might as well be perfectly honest. I have no problems killing vampires, and to be honest, if doesn't really bother me to kill humans who associate with them as well. However, even I draw the line at innocent bystanders who just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time." Well, if he'd wanted their full attention, he'd succeeded. "Reverend Newlin was pretty damned upset about what happened in Dallas concerning both of the Stackhouse siblings. Ever since the attack on your nest in Dallas, when he found out that both of them lived, he's been obsessed with revenge. He didn't think he'd ever get to them, because he figured, correctly obviously, that you would be protecting them, especially her," he raised his hand and pointed to me when he said this. This earned him a fang-bared snarl from not only Godric and Eric, but Pam as well. "He figured he'd just have to sacrifice a few innocents in order to get to them. He's sending someone to start going to the bar she works at, and keep going until a night when they're both there." He stopped when he got this far, as if that's all he had to say.

"And what exactly is this person supposed to **do** when they are?" Pam asked, sounded oddly calm.

"They'll have a bomb strapped to their chest." Even though I'd already heard it in his mind, hearing it said out loud caused tears to begin falling down my cheeks.

"And, when exactly will this person be arriving in Bon Temps?" Eric asked.

"He's supposed to start going to the bar on Friday." Three days from now.

"Stan says you came to them and volunteered this information. What were you hoping to receive in return?" Godric asked.

"Because of my involvement in Dallas, I realize that you all require my death. I was simply hoping to be able to choose by what method that takes place." Well, this was something that the vampires hadn't expected.

"Explain," Eric hissed.

"I've seen enough blood shed for Newlin's obsession. I know that I have family and friends that would want to retaliate if I were killed by a vampire. I'd simply ask that you shoot me instead, preferably not in the head. I'd like for my mother to be able to say her goodbyes."

Eric turned his head so that he could see my face. "Sookie, is he being truthful?"

"Yes. Yes, he is." As much as I hated it, I thought it was a noble request.

"Stan, that is all. Return to Dallas, tell Isabel I will call her once things have been taken care of," Eric said, obviously making it an order and not a request.

Stan didn't look very happy to be dismissed before the action took place, but, he nodded his head to Eric. Looking at me, he smiled, fangs showing, and said, "Miss Stackhouse, it's been a pleasure, as always." Then he was gone.

"Pam, take the human downstairs and lock him in one of the _nicer_ rooms. See to it that he remains unharmed." I vaguely wondered what Eric considered a nicer room to be. He continued, "Jessica, why don't you go out to the bar, and have a blood. Behave yourself, please." She stood and left, and I was once again alone with Godric and Eric.

Godric turned and crouched down in front of me, taking my hands in his, while Eric paced the empty space in the room. "Sookie, it's going to be alright. We have received this information soon enough, we will be able to make sure no one is hurt." I couldn't tell if Godric was being sincere, or just trying to make me feel better.

"I know. That's not what I'm worried about. I searched his mind as best I could, and I'm positive that if it **was** the fellowship that burnt my house down, he had no idea about it. I think that means that the fellowship aren't the only ones gunning for me right now." I heard my own voice shake as I said this.

"We will keep you safe, I promise you. No harm will come to you, or to Jason," Godric moved his hand to cup my cheek to add emphasis to his words.

A moment later, Pam returned to the office once again. She looked at Godric and I, and then at Eric, and I could tell by the way he held his body when he turned to us, he'd made a plan of action. "Pam, alert Chow to the current situation, then stay here and take over for me for the night. Godric, take Sookie back to my place. Jessica and I will go to Bon Temps. I will talk to the shifter and let him know of the Fellowship's plans, and then I will have Jessica's boyfriend help me locate Jason, and we'll inform him as well."

I know that I should've let it go, but, I couldn't keep my opinion to myself. "Actually, Eric, would you mind terribly if Godric went with Jessica? I know that this is your area, but, I think that both Sam and Jason would respond better to Godric than to you. Sam's a pretty strong willed person, and won't take kindly to be talked down to." Knowing that Eric could sense my emotions, I was hoping that he believed this, but also felt that I had other reasons for making this request.

He looked at me in deep thought for a moment. "Fine. Godric, what vehicle did you bring here tonight?"

"The bike."

Eric laughed. "Yes, you always did prefer that. Somehow though, I don't envision you and Jessica being comfortable with her arms wrapped around you all the way to Bon Temps. Take the Corvette, Sookie and I will take the bike." Godric softly chuckled, and leaned in to give me a slow, deep kiss.

"I will see you before dawn, my love." He stood, exchanged keys with Eric, and left, Pam right behind him.

Before Eric had to chance to turn and face me again, I stood and asked, "Will you honor his request, about how he wants to die?"

"If we are able to apprehend the bomber, yes." He turned then, and I could see that he was thinking, and feeling, a wide variety of things. "Would you like to tell me the real reason you wished for me to stay with you, now?"

"Can it wait 'til we get home? I don't want to have this discussion where anyone else could possibly overhear us."

He raised an eyebrow, but simply said, "Of course," and led me back out of the club. I noticed right away that he only had one of the helmets with him, so, he must've decided not to wear one. He handed mine to me, and I put it on, and climbed on behind him. He pulled my arms tight around his waist, and leaned back and said, "Hold on tight, lover. I'm a much different ride than Godric is." I didn't miss the hidden meaning of his words.

When we reached the house, he led me back into the same bedroom we'd been in before, and sat down in an arm chair next to bed. I could tell he was ready to talk, but, I still needed to make a few adjustments.

"Give me just a minute, okay," I said, and made my way into the bathroom. Once I shut the door, I grabbed the bottle of lilac scented bubble-bath I'd found earlier. I'd found it strange that he just happened to have a bottle of my favorite bubble-bath. But, it occurred to me that he'd probably picked up the scent from my own skin at some point in time, and bought it with me in mind. I started the water in the huge Jacuzzi tub, poured in some of the bubbles, found a band to tie my hair up with, and lit a few of the candles that were on the vanity. When the tub was full enough, I took my clothes off, and lowered myself into the water. Knowing that he would hear me, even with the door closed, I simply asked, "Eric, aren't you going to join me?"

I smiled a moment later when the door was flung open, and he stood before me, having already removed his shirt. He smiled predatorily as he closed the door, took off the rest of his clothing, and lowered himself into the tub behind me. As soon as he was settled, he put his hands on my shoulders and guided me back until I was nestled comfortably against him. He rested his hands on my thighs, and I laid my head on his shoulder and sighed with the pleasure of it.

After a moment of silence, I asked, "Did you know? About why Bill was really here?"

"No. I knew that he was hiding something from me, but, I wasn't sure what it was. That's part of the reason I insisted upon the tribunal after he killed Long Shadow. If the Magister went easy on him, I knew that something major was going on behind my back. Normally, the punishment for staking another vampire would be seven years, chained in silver, and locked in a coffin. However, all he had to do was turn Jessica. That's when I realized that he was a part of something much bigger than I'd suspected."

I nodded, and felt a wave of relief wash over me. I hadn't realized how nervous I'd been while waiting to ask him this. Bill's betrayal was bad enough, but, if Eric had been involved, I don't know what I would've done.

"Are you really going to be okay with sharing me with Godric?"

He chuckled. "I won't lie, I'd much rather have you all to myself. But, if I have to share you with someone, I can't think of someone that would be better than Godric. As my maker, he has a unique view into my head, and knows what I'm thinking. To be honest, I'm surprised **he's** actually agreed to share you. He loves you. And, I can tell that you return his love."

I sat up and faced him. "Eric, I do love him. And, if things had happened differently, and we hadn't been parted how and when we were, I don't know that I would've ever wanted to be with anyone else. But, my life took a different path, and, I know that path has led me to you. I can't turn my back on that just because Godric's back, now. I have to at least explore what we have between us." He pulled me to him and kissed me. It started slow, and soft, but gradually beginning building until it was almost like a frenzy.

When neither of us could take it anymore, he stood, ran a towel over the both of us until we were dry, and then lifted me in his arms, kissing me again while he took me back to lie on the bed. He slowly made his way down my body, making sure to spend an ample amount of time with each of my breasts. When he reached my core, I felt him part my folds with his fingers, and slowly begin to tease me with his tongue. I put my hands on his head and grabbed his hair, trying to pull him closer to me. I heard him chuckle just as he was beginning to slide a finger inside me. He tongue continued to assault my pleasure center over and over, and he slowly began adding a second, and finally a third finger. Just when I thought I couldn't stand anymore, I felt his nose nudge my thigh, and I looked down to see him bite into my skin just as I reached my climax.

He kept thrusting inside me with his finger while I rode out my wave of pleasure. When I was finally back to normal, he slid his body back up mine, and kissed me, and I could taste my own fluids on him. He pulled his head back slightly, lifted my legs until they were around his waist, and said, "You're so beautiful, my lover." He pushed inside me, and I felt my eyes roll back into my skull. From touching and seeing him previously, I knew he was large, but, having all of him inside me was a different experience to say the least. Once he was buried to the hilt, he stayed still and allowed my body time to adjust.

When I finally opened my eyes to look at him again, he began slowly pulling out and thrusting back in, each time harder and faster than the previous. I was so lost to the pleasure of it, that all I could do was hold on tight, and say over and over again, "Oh God, Eric, Oh God."

He licked my ear and whispered, "God can't help you now, lover." Just when I thought I would be pounded into the headboard, he reached down and brushed my nub with his thumb, and I exploded. I felt him shudder a moment later, and, I have to admit, it stroked my ego a bit to hear him yell my name. He continued to rock inside me for a moment or two, and then pulled out, lay next to me, and pulled me close to his body, and stroked my back. I was asleep long before Godric joined us once again.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N I'm really TRULY sorry about the shortness of this chapter. I had planned on it being much longer. However, it's been really windy here tonight, and I've already lost power three times, so, I'm thinking this is as good as it's gonna get until the storm passes by. Sorry...**

I was once again at the beautiful lakeside in Hawaii. This time, I was sitting on a rock, dangling my feet into the warm, crystal clear water. Godric and Eric were both in the water, next to the rock I was sitting on. Eric pulled himself out, sat next to me, and lifted his arms to begin massaging my shoulders. Godric picked up my foot and began rubbing it as he raised his head to speak. "Sookie, it's time to wake up now, darling. We need to talk."

I opened one eye to find myself back in my bed at Eric's house, with Godric and Eric both sitting next to me.

"Ugh. Why can't people ever leave me alone so I can enjoy Hawaii?"

They looked at each other in confusion.

"Never mind. What's up?" I was not happy to be awake. It felt like I'd only been asleep for an hour or so.

Godric said, "It's only about an hour 'til dawn, and we need to talk about what Jason and Sam had to say." Well, I guess that explained why I felt like I hadn't slept much. I hadn't.

I sat up, amazed at the fact that I was wearing pajamas. Had Eric actually put clothing **on** me? Usually he was trying to take it off.

"Okay, go ahead. What did they say?"

"Sam is going to be watching carefully to see what newcomers show up on Friday, and then come again on Saturday as well. Your friends Tara and Lafayette have been informed that they should be expecting someone to show up who wants to hurt you and Jason, but they were told nothing more, so, they will also be paying careful attention. Once the bombers identify has been established, we will arrange for Jason to be in the bar, and have it known that you are supposed to be working that evening. We plan to apprehend the bomber at that time." I'm sure he saw that I wanted to say something, so he quickly put up his hand and continued. "I know, Sookie, I don't want Jason anywhere near the bar until this is resolved, either. But, he said he wanted to be part of this. He refused to hide away and not take action. However, he has agreed to stay away from his own home, and he will avoid being alone whenever possible just to be safe."

I nodded, knowing that sounded just like Jason. "So, from here, it's just a sort of, waiting game, right? We just have to wait and find out who the bomber is?"

Eric answered instead of Godric. "More or less, yes. Pam tried to get more information out of the boy, but, it seems that he truly does not know the exact identify of the bomber. Apparently, there were multiple volunteers." Well, if knowing that multiple people are willing to sacrifice themselves killing you doesn't make you feel all warm and fuzzy, what will?

"Sookie, this area of the house is completely light tight, so, you can feel free to move from room to room. There is a kitchen down the hall, and some food has been put there for you. Also, there is a library with many books and a television as well. You don't need to stay in bed all day, that is, unless you want to. Jessica is staying in another room a few down from this one. When we rise this evening, I will need to go to Fangtasia, but, Godric and Jessica will accompany you to the mall, so that you may buy some clothes, or anything else you need. And before you get all upset about the money, let me just tell you that you have no choice but to spend it. You can either make it a gift from me, it can be taken out of the payment you are owed for Dallas, or, you can reimburse me when you get the insurance check for your house." Obviously, Eric meant business. I was grateful though that I could get some more clothes. He continued after another moment. "Sookie, obviously, this room is my bedroom, and, you are welcome to make it yours. However, please do not feel that you have no choice. If you should ever want a room of your own, or a room for just you and Godric, you may take your pick from any of the bedrooms in this area. I would enjoy having you in my bed, in my arms every day, but, I don't want you to feel forced."

I was once again amazed at how Godric and Eric would handling what the three of us had going on. They were going above and beyond to make sure that I was comfortable and happy. Normally, in this type of situation, well, I guess I wouldn't have allowed myself to **get** into this situation normally. But, Godric and Eric were being so reverent about it, it was beautiful. I thought that I would be uncomfortable sitting here on a bed with two men that I'd slept with during the past 24 hours, but, I wasn't. I knew that I was safer when I had one of them with me, and that I didn't want to be completely alone, but, I was surprised at how calming it was to have **both** of them there. Almost as if I wasn't actually complete unless both of them were with me.

"Sookie, as you know, one of the effects of a human ingesting vampire blood is that the vampire will be able to sense the human's feelings, and have an easier time tracking them." Godric spoke slowly, as if he was saying something he thought I wouldn't like, or understand. "You have had a small amount of Eric's blood, which makes it easier for him to sense when you are in danger, and be able to get to you faster. I think that it would be a good idea for you to have a small amount of my blood as well, so that I have that bond with you, as well."

I thought about what he was saying for a minute. I wasn't really looking forward to drinking blood, but, I understood why it was necessary. "Oh, alright. I'll do it. But, then can I go back to sleep? I'm exhausted. You boys are just wearin' me right out." When they laughed, I realized how they took it, and that wasn't how I originally meant it, but, I was too tired to care about correcting them.

Godric was, once again, shirtless, and sitting with his back up against the headboard. He motioned for me to come sit with my back against his chest, and, once we were situation, he put his wrist to his mouth to bite. Almost out of nowhere, I heard Eric ask, "Sookie, would you like to me to leave? I realize that sometimes, feeding from a vampire can be a very personal moment." I was impressed by his offer.

"No, actually Eric, I was hoping you'd stay. I'm not sure why, but, for some reason, I feel like something big is missing when I don't have both of you with me. I feel better when you're both around." I saw a slight smile grace his beautiful face, and then he nodded, and simply sat back down on the bed once again.

I heard a slight crunching noise from behind me, and then Godric put his wrist to my mouth. His blood was oozing out of the wound sluggishly, and it seemed very thick. I put my mouth over the wound and sucked, and was incredibly surprised at how good it tasted. I thought that I'd never before, and would never again, taste something so delicious, and so arousing at the same time. After another couple of pulls, the wound sealed itself, and Godric lay back down on the bed, and I cuddled up to him. After a moment, the lamp on the bedside table clicked off, and I felt Eric climb into the bed with us as well.

I never understood how some people could look at a vampire and not realize what they were. To me, they all had just a slight glow to them. Now, with both of them in the bed with me, and no lights on, the glow was easy to see. I only vaguely registered, that I now glowed, too. I drifted back to sleep, and once again, enjoyed the beautiful afternoon at my lake in Hawaii.


	10. Chapter 10

When I woke later that afternoon, I felt more rested and energized than I had in weeks. I knew that a portion of that feeling was due to taking Godric's blood. It could also be that my body was finally able to relieve some tension with the great sex I'd had yesterday. I blushed simply remembering the things I'd done since returning from Dallas.

My entire world had been turned upside down. I'd been held prisoner and almost raped, and then my first love, who I thought was dead, rescued me, and also saved Jason and I from being shot. He'd also become my lover. I found out that my first lover had betrayed me from the very beginning. I was more or less living with a man I thought I'd hate 'til the day I die, and he'd become my lover as well. The house I grew up in was burned to the ground, and some nut job who wanted to kill me was going to try to blow up the bar I worked at.

I pushed all of that to the back of my mind. I didn't want to think about all the changes just now. I wanted to try and enjoy the rest of my afternoon, and then have a nice, fun, shopping trip with Godric and Jessica.

After I'd showered and gotten dressed, I left the bedroom in search of the kitchen, and more importantly, the **food** Eric had mentioned this morning. I found the kitchen, and wasn't at all surprised at how small it was. In all honesty, it wasn't much bigger than my bathroom back home had been. After poking around in a few cupboards, I found some coffee, and was very grateful to see that Eric had even been smart enough to buy a coffee maker as well. I'd have to make sure to thank him for that, later.

Once I had a steaming mug of coffee in my hands, I looked around a little more, and found a loaf of bread, some butter and jam, and a toaster. After I'd finished eating, I took my mug of coffee and went to find the library. I noted where the TV was, but really didn't feel like turning it on at all. I looked through the many stacks of books, and was pleased to find a book about the history of Vikings. I saw down in a comfortable looking chair, and began to flip through the pages.

After a while, I checked my watch, noting that it was only about 15 minutes until sunset. I wanted to be back in the bedroom when my vampires rose, so, I replaced the book, put the coffee mug back in the kitchen, and crawled back into the bed in between my two lovers. I had to stifle a giggle when I thought of them that way, but, that's truly what they were.

Eric was on his stomach, and Godric was on his side, with about a foot of space between them. I crawled in, and put my back to Godric's chest, and then twined my legs with Eric's. It just felt so right being cuddled up to the two of them. I realized that someday soon I would really have to analyze why that was, but, for now, I would just enjoy it.

Even though I wasn't facing him, I knew the exact moment Godric woke up. He snaked his arm around my waist, pulled me tight against his body, and placed a kiss to my neck. "Good evening, my love," he said. His voice was raspy; it was quite the turn on.

I rubbed his arm with my hand, and said, "Hi, honey."

"Have you had a pleasant day?"

"Yes, I have actually." As I continued to speak, Eric woke up, and turned so he was on his side, facing me. "I spent some time in the library looking through a book on Vikings." Eric's eyebrows rose appreciatively.

"Were you able to find something to eat?" Godric asked.

"Yes, I was. I had some toast, it was very nice. Which reminds me…" I leaned over to Eric and placed a tender kiss to his mouth. "Thank you for the coffee maker. You have NO idea how much better I feel after I've had coffee when I wake up."

Eric just chuckled a bit, and mumbled something about wanting to keep me sane.

Godric got up out of the bed, and started to walk towards the bathroom. "Well, if I'm to accompany two young ladies to the mall, I'd best be getting ready. I'm sure the stores won't stay open very late. Besides, I'm sure the two of you could use some time together, since you probably won't see much of each other tonight." With a wink, he left us, and went into the bathroom.

The moment the door shut, Eric rolled to his back and pulled me on top of him, and just held me close. I loved moments like these. Just being held close, feeling cherished. He softly stroked my back, and placed kisses into my hair. "Sookie, you need to be thinking about what you'd like to do with the land your home was on. Although the structure itself could not be saved, there was no real damage to the land itself. You can rebuild, if you'd like."

I hadn't thought of that. I picked my head up and looked into his eyes. "What do **you** think I should do?"

He smirked, and said, "Well, personally, I wouldn't mind having you here with me as long as you'd like to stay. But, I know that won't make you happy in the long run. You'll want some independence. If you'd like, I can have some contractors draw up a few plans, and you can choose the layout you'd like, and we can have construction begin immediately."

"I don't know what to do, Eric. I think it would just be odd to see a brand new house where the old one used to be. Can I take a couple of days to think about it?"

"You can take as much time as you'd like, darling." I smiled, and rolled off of him, onto my back next to him.

"Eric?" He raised his eyebrows in question and looked at me.

"Kiss me?" That's all I needed to say. He moved so fast, that before I knew it, he was on top of me, kissing me leisurely. I could tell by his kiss that he knew I didn't want to have sex. Well, not right **now** anyway. I just wanted the intimacy of being with him, in our bed.

I hadn't put my hair in a ponytail, so he felt free to let him hands run through the strands, lightly massaging. It felt phenomenal. I placed my own hands on his shoulders, and then let them gradually make their way to his chest. Eric had the most magnificent chest I'd ever seen. Muscular and toned, with just a small smattering of hair. He was truly beautiful.

A small while later, Godric exited the bathroom, and silently moved around the room, dressing, and getting ready for the trip to the mall. Once he was dressed, he cleared his throat to catch our attention. "I hate to interrupt, but I believe Jessica is waiting for us, Sookie."

With a sigh of resignation, Eric and I stood up off the bed. I slipped my shoes back on, and then walked over to give Eric a quick hug goodbye. "Will I see you before dawn?"

"I'm not sure. I have some important business to attend to at the bar, so, we'll just have to see how things go." I frowned, but nodded my understanding. After one more quick kiss, I turned, and left the room with Godric.

Jessica was in the kitchen, sipping a True Blood. "There you are!" She was practically vibrating with excitement.

"Calm down, Jess. It's just the mall. We're not going to Disneyworld or anything."

Jessica and I laughed at the slightly confused look on Godric's face. "I know, it's nothing special. But, it'll be the first time I've been shopping and could actually _afford_ to buy nice things! Before we went to Dallas, Bill gave me a credit card and said that he'll pay the bill for it as long as it's necessary purchases. Luckily for me, he deems nice clothing to be necessary! Oh, and please don't let me forget, I need to buy a new charger for my cell phone. I think I left mine in Dallas, and my phone's been dead for three days!"

Godric led us into the garage, and directed us to a very inconspicuous 4-door vehicle. I think it was a Civic. I couldn't imagine Eric buying something so mundane, so, I'm sure someone else had purchased it for him for a reason. Shortly after we'd left the house, Godric reached over and twined his fingers with mine, and placed our joined hands on my knee. I looked at him and smiled. This kind of thing was what I had missed about being with him. He always wanted to have some sort of physical contact with me. But, he never made it something I wouldn't have been comfortable with other people seeing. He knew I didn't really approve of public displays of affection. Heck, I didn't even really approve of public **talks** of affection. This was another thing about my little "arrangement" with Eric and Godric that confused me. Normally, I would've been embarrassed to have Godric simply KNOW I'd made out with Eric. Yet, tonight, it didn't faze me to have him in the same room with us at the same time.

We pulled into a parking spot and made our way into the mall. Since it was one of the first stores we passed, Godric and I waited while Jessica ran into Radio Shack and bought a new charger for her cell phone. Then, we made our way to some clothing stores to start rebuilding my wardrobe. I found several things I liked, but kept passing them by once I'd seen the price tags. Finally, Godric grabbed my hand, and asked me why I wasn't picking anything out. "I just can't bring myself to spend $75 on a pair of jeans. It's just too much. I'd rather go to Walmart and get some for $15."

"Sookie, don't let the price affect your decision about whether or not to buy things. I know that you hate spending money frivolously, but don't think of this as that. Sure, you could go someplace else and buy a pair of pants for less money. And in 6 months, you'd probably have to replace them because they'd become worn out in the dryer. Or, you can spend more money now, and get a pair that will last much longer. Believe me, it's a better investment in the long run." I stifled a laugh. I'd never heard anyone refer to jeans as an investment. But, he had a point. So, I began picking out things I liked so I could try them on.

Two hours, and about $1000 later, I had several new pairs of pants, shorts, skirts, tops, a few dresses, and five new pair of shoes. I was still having problems spending that much money on clothes, but, once again, Godric gave me a practical reason for not being so uptight about it. He told me that, if we had taken all of my clothes that were ruined in the fire, and added up how much money I'd spent on them, it would likely come to much more money than I'd just spent. I just wasn't used to having to buy all of this at once. And, also once again, he was right.

As we were walking back towards the side of the mall where we'd parked, my cell phone rang. Looking at it, I realized that I didn't at all recognize the number on the caller id.

"Hello?"

"_Sookie?_" Oh, great, just who I wanted to talk to.

"Bill, why are you calling me?"

"_Sookie, I apologize, I was just a little desperate and didn't know what else to do. I've been trying to reach Jessica for some time now, and she doesn't answer. I was beginning to get worried._"

"Oh. She lost the charger for her phone, and just bought a new one tonight."

"_She's there with you, then?_"

"Yes, she is. Would you like to speak with her for a moment?" I couldn't believe he would call me just to make sure she was okay, and then not talk to her.

"_If you wouldn't mind, I'd truly appreciate it._"

I held my phone out to Jessica. "It's Bill. He was worried when he wasn't able to reach you on your cell." She took me the phone from me, and apologized to Bill that she'd been so hard to reach. As much as I hated to admit it, I couldn't deny that Bill genuinely cared about Jessica's well-being. Well, I didn't **think** I could deny it anyway. I also thought he'd truly loved me.

As if he sensed my growing agitation, Godric signaled to Jessica that she should stay there to talk to Bill, and that he and I would go into a store to look around while we waited. It wasn't until we were actually **in** the store that I realized where we were.

"What, so just because you tell me you love me, and we're sleeping together, you think I'm gonna buy something pretty to wear for you from Victoria's Secret?" I asked in a joking tone.

"No, not at all. Actually, I noticed their sign said they're having a sale on their lotions, and I remember that you liked several of their scents."

"Uh huh, like I believe that!" We just smiled as he led me to the lotion section of the store. He **was** right, there were a few of their lotions that I absolutely loved, and always made sure to buy when they were on sale. Once I'd picked out a couple of bottles, I couldn't help but notice that he had wandered away from me, and was looking at lace teddies.

A saleswoman made her way over to him. "See anything you like, sir?" I had to try **very** hard not to laugh out loud when I heard what she was **really** thinking when she asked that question. "_See anything you'd like to rip off my body while you fuck me senseless?_"

"Several items, actually." He was being so smooth with her, it was a bit disconcerting.

She leaned in closer to him before saying, "Well, the best way to judge is to actually see it **on** a body." You didn't need to be a mind-reader to catch her true meaning there.

"Indeed, a very good point." He turned from her and looked to me. "Darling, could I convince you to come try a few things on for me?" I immediately put up my shields, but not before I heard the woman think "_Oh, gross. What is a god like him doing with a tramp like that_?"

"But doesn't that ruin the fun of the anticipation?" I asked while making my way to him. The saleswoman took that as her cue to walk away. Not soon enough as far as I was concerned.

He chuckled lightly, very aware of what had just happened, as if he could read her thoughts just as well as I could. "Now, tell me, Sookie. Would you truly be upset if I bought you a gift while we were here?"

I put my hand on his chest and simply said, "Oh, I guess that would be alright. Since it would be as much a gift for **you** as it would for **me.**" He smiled, and since his fangs were most of the way out, I knew he agreed. As he looked at a few more things trying to make a decision, I browsed around a bit more. I found myself looking at a few things that were a bit more risqué than I would normally get. I decided I'd have to use one of the cars and come back on another day. It just felt weird picking out lingerie to wear for Eric while I was shopping with Godric.

One he picked something out and paid for it, and I'd paid for my lotions, we found Jessica patiently waiting for us, and went back to the car. Godric asked if I was hungry, and I said that I was. He went through the drive thru line at Wendy's for me, and we made our way to Fangtasia. I was nervous about taking my food in, because I knew that all the vampires would smell it for days most likely. But, Godric said it would be fine. He led us into Eric's office, which, oddly enough, was completely empty. He left to go to the bar to get a bottle of blood for Jessica, and when he came back, he said he needed to speak with Eric, and that under no circumstances should we leave the office. That struck me as odd. Was there something going on that they didn't want me to see?

I was just beginning to think about what they could be hiding from me, when Jessica said, "Bill asked me lots of questions about you on the phone tonight."

"Oh, really? What did he want to know?"

"Well, first off, he wanted to know how bad the damage was to your house, and if Eric had any idea who'd started the fire yet. When I told him the house was completely destroyed, he told me to tell you that he was very sorry to hear that, especially since he knew how much the house meant to your family."

I nodded. Bill had known the Stackhouse's when the house was first built. "He also asked me if you were seeing Godric or Eric." She waggled her eyebrows when she said this.

"Did he now? And what did you tell him?"

"Oh, I told him that considering everything that is going on, you've been in the presence of at least one of them almost constantly. He didn't seem very happy about that answer. But, honestly, it's not my place to say anything, and it's not his business, anyhow."

I was impressed. "Jessica, I appreciate you standing up for me, but, don't get yourself into trouble by lying to your maker. That's bad."

"Oh, I didn't lie. Sookie, I know that he's my maker, and yes, I am concerned for him. But, on the way back from Bon Temps last night, Godric told me what Bill had done. That's just terrible. He deceived you, manipulated you, and maybe even used you. That's not excusable as far as I'm concerned."

Before we had the chance to talk about it any longer, Godric came back. He sat down at Eric's house and looked over some paperwork, not saying a word. Almost as soon as I'd finished my food, he looked up, and said that it was time to go. I wanted to know what had happened to ruin his mood, but, I knew he probably wouldn't tell me. And, let's face it, I probably didn't want to know.

When we got back to the house, Jessica gave me a quick hug and said she was going to plug her phone in and call Hoyt. Godric and I told her goodnight, and made our way back to the bedroom we'd been sharing with Eric. He reclined on the bed, and watched me move about, hanging up all the new clothes I'd just bought. When I was finished, he pulled out the small bag containing his purchase from Victoria's Secret. "Sookie, would you mind modeling this for me?"

"Oh, I guess I could do that. But, only because you were a good boy tonight and didn't complain about waiting for me to try on clothes for two hours like most men would do!" He waggled his eyebrows, and I took the sack from him and headed into the bathroom. I brushed my teeth, added a little more make-up, and fluffed up my hair just a bit for the effect. I opened the sack to find a very pretty plum colored satin slip with copper colored lace trim. I put it on, and looked in the mirror, taking in the full effect. Hey, I looked pretty good!

I turned out the light, and opened the door to the bedroom, to find that Godric had lit several candles and had them in various spots in the room. It was very romantic. As I stood in the doorway, he came towards me, and I saw the color of his eyes darken with desire as he looked me up and down. Apparently, he approved of his purchase.

When he was standing directly in front of me, he wrapped his arms around my waist, gently pulling me to him, and said, "You, my darling, are a vision. You are more beautiful than I could've ever imagined." I smiled, and leaned to kiss him. We stood there, holding each other, just kissing for a few minutes. Then, he put his hands under my butt and picked me up, walking us to the bed. He sat down and scooted until his back was on the pillows, and I was on his lap. His mouth traveled down my neck, and shoulders, as his hands caressed my breasts through the soft material. He had me squirming and moaning in no time.

Just as I felt his mouth close over my nipple through the satin, I knew I could take no more. I needed him, **now**. I reached down and started to push off his boxers (why in the hell was he still wearing them?), and he smiled as he helped me take them off of him. I moved from sitting on my butt to kneeling, and I took him in my hand and guided him to my entrance. As I slowly lowered myself onto him, I heard a low growl rumble through his chest. Once he filled me completely, he sat up and kissed me fiercely once again. After a moment, he laid himself down, and put his hands on my hips to guide me. I started to move in a slow pace, savoring the feeling of him inside me. In the back of my mind, I registered a change in the atmosphere of the room, and I started to look around to see what had caused it, but, Godric sat up suddenly and took my breast into his mouth, immediately commanding all of my attention. After a few moments, I began to speed things up, and I could tell that we were both getting close to reaching our peak. I looked him in the eyes to make sure he saw my intentions, and bent my head to the side, offering him my neck. He ran his tongue over my tender flesh, but didn't bite down. Just as I felt the beginnings of my orgasm, he bit down, and it sent me catapulting to heights I had never before experienced. I felt him shutter a moment later, and knew he'd had his own release.

After I'd had a moment to catch my breath, I lie down at his side, and put my head on his chest. He turned his face to mine and kissed me tenderly, and told me he loved me.

"I love you, too Godric," I said as I felt my eyes beginning to close. As I drifted off to sleep, I saw a movement across the room, and it finally dawned on me what the change I felt had been. Eric had been watching us make love.

**A/N Ooh, that Eric, he's a sneaky one! There's a link on my profile to the pretty little teddie Godric bought for Sookie. Enjoy....and REVIEW!!**


	11. Chapter 11

I awoke the next day with a smile on my face. That is, until I noticed that something just didn't feel right. I couldn't put my finger on what it was, but there was something off. I sat up in the bed, and as I took in my surroundings, I realized what was bothering me. I was lying in bed with Godric. But where was Eric? I had been so sure I saw him watching us last night. Would he have been upset and slept in another room?

I used the bathroom, and then went on a search of the other rooms in the light-tight area of the house looking for him. Jessica was sleeping in one, but, the others were all untouched. This made no sense to me. Why would he have left?

With a glance at my watch, I noticed that it was only about an hour until sunset. I went back into the room I'd been sharing with my two vampires, and took a long hot shower, contemplating what could've upset Eric. It's not as if he didn't know I was having sex with Godric. He was well aware of it. I also started to wonder why he would've been there watching us? What the hell was that all about? And, Godric surely must've known he was there. Godric had acted so strange at Fangtasia last night. What the hell was going on?

I was too nervous to eat, so, after I'd dressed, I just sat in a chair by the bed and waited for Godric to wake up. When he finally did, he sat up, looked at me, and immediately knew I was upset about something.

"What is it love? Has something happened?"

"Godric, where's Eric?"

"He slept at the club last night. He wanted to work until dawn, and then get a head start on some things this evening." Could I have been mistaken?

"What was going on at Fangtasia last night that made you so tense, and that made you decide I wasn't allowed to leave Eric's office?"

"Sookie, I know you're not going to accept this as an answer, but, it's not my place to say. You will have to ask Eric that question. If he decides it is something he wants to share with you, he will." This just added to my irritation.

"Well, can we please go see him then? I have a few things I'd like to discuss with him."

"I'm afraid I cannot take you to him. Not right now, anyway."

I was starting to get very aggravated. "And why the hell not?"

"Darling, it's Friday. He is in Bon Temps keeping an eye on Merlotte's, waiting for Newlin's suicide bomber to make him or herself known." Oh, I'd completely forgotten that was tonight! As if I needed something else to upset me.

"Godric, I'm going to ask you something, and, I want a straight answer from you. Even if you think I won't like the answer, alright?"

"Of course, my love. Please, ask me anything."

"Was Eric here in the room last night watching us while we were making love?"

He visibly stiffened. "Yes, he was. But, how did you know?"

"Just as I was falling asleep, I saw him move in the chair on the other side of the room. Why was he here? Why would you let him watch that?"

He stood, and came over to take my hand in his. "He had been given some very, disturbing information. He truly did not know what to do with it. He said that he wanted to be near you while he was working through it in his head. At this point in time, you were in the bathroom changing into your nightie, but he was so conflicted, I couldn't bear to send him away. He sat in the chair in the dark part of the room, and said that he would not let you see him. He left shortly after you fell asleep."

I stared down at our twined hands, wondering what to make of all this. I was oddly calm about the entire situation. "Godric, it doesn't so much bother me that he was watching us, as that you both tried to keep it from me. Yes, I probably would've felt awkward having sex with you while he was watching, but, by keeping it from me, you were in essence lying to me. I don't want there to be any deception between the three of us. This is all so new to me. I'm feeling things I've never even considered before. I need for you two to help me through this." To my surprise, I felt a tear slide down my cheek.

"Oh, Sookie, please don't cry. I know that it goes against your nature to be involved with both of us. Because you have taken blood from each of us, you have begun to form a bond of sorts with us. And, since I am Eric's maker, he and I are bound in a way as well. The tie between the three of us is much stronger than I would've anticipated. Tell me, do you feel almost incomplete if we are not both with you?"

"Yes, I do. I hate it. I just don't feel right unless I have both of you near me."

"If you allow for the relationship you have with each of us to continue, that will only get stronger. You will be able to feel our emotions from a distance. It can be a powerful weapon, but a weakness as well."

I nodded my head to indicate I understood, even though I knew I really didn't. The one thing I did know was that I **was** tied to both of them in a way. Almost as if I could sense them at all times.

Godric dressed, and we went out to the library to find Jessica. She was talking to Hoyt on her cell phone, so I settled into a comfortable chair and just stared blankly into space. I was on edge waiting to hear what was happening at Merlotte's. But, also, I desperately missed Eric. It had been more than 24 hours since I'd had more than just a glimpse of him, and it was starting to make my heart ache. Godric picked a book from a shelf and sat on the floor next to my chair, leaning his shoulder against my leg.

It was around 1am, and Godric was just beginning to lecture me on why I needed to try to eat something when his cell phone rang. He answered it, and quickly left the room to conduct his conversation. I stood, and paced, waiting for him to return, certain that this was the news we had been waiting for.

A few minutes later, he came in and simply said, "The bomber made himself known, he was removed, no one came to any harm." I felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

"What about Luke? Has Eric decided to grant his request?"

"Actually, no, he made a different decision." I'm sure he saw how upset I became, because he immediate said, "He glamoured him to remember nothing about the fellowship, and Isabel is currently in the process of doing the same to the members of his immediate family. They will be given a place to live in Wyoming, where, hopefully they will be safe to go on with their lives, being none the wiser."

I couldn't believe what I'd just heard. Never in a million years would I believe that Eric would be that merciful to someone who personally tried so hard to harm vampires. It made me realize that there was another side to Eric that I was only just beginning to see.

"Godric, take me to Eric. Please. I need to see him." I could tell he had reservations, but he finally nodded.

Jessica had decided to stay at the house, and Godric and I jumped in the Civic and before long were pulling into the parking lot at Fangtasia. As soon as we entered the club, Pam came to speak to Godric. They were whispering softly enough that I was unable to hear what was being said, but Godric seemed irritated at whatever Pam was telling him. I didn't want to wait any longer before seeing Eric, so I started to drop Godric's hand and move towards the office. But, Godric gripped my hand tighter, and wouldn't let me move.

**That's** when I registered what was going on in Eric's office. I could feel the blank spot that signaled a vampire was in there, and I knew it was Eric. But, I could also tell that there was a human woman with him. A woman who was thinking way too much about the pleasurable things Eric was doing to her. I saw pure red. With strength I didn't know I possessed, I ripped my hand out of Godric's, and ran down the hallway, throwing open the door to Eric's office. He was sitting on the couch, and the human woman was sitting on his lap. He was drinking from a wound on her neck, and his hand was inside her skirt, thrusting into her. She didn't seem to notice that anything had changed, but I saw Eric's eyes flash up to mine. He took his mouth off of her, and simply said, "Leave, and close the door. I will come to speak with you shortly."

I didn't know what to say. I turned, left the door open, and walked to Godric. "Give me the keys to the car, please." He just looked at me and shook his head. "Please, Godric, I can't stay here, I need to get away." I felt tears filling my eyes. He looked over my shoulder towards Eric's office, handed me the keys, and moved out of my way.

I had no idea where I was going, I just drove. I was so conflicted. Part of me kept telling myself that I should've known better. I knew what Eric was like. Why would I think he would commit himself to me? But my heart ached as well.

I felt a powerful rage begin to bubble up in my heart, and I knew that it wasn't my own rage. Eric must've found out I'd left. I knew he could find me if he really wanted to. The question is, did I **want** him to want to find me? My vision began to blur as my eyes filled with tears again, so I looked for a place to pull over. Thankfully, after about another mile I saw a park, and pulled in and got out of the car. I almost laughed when I realized it was the place I'd spent my last night with Godric before I thought he'd died. How ironic.

I knew that I wouldn't be alone for long. Sure enough, a few minutes later I heard a loud 'whomp' sound as Eric landed a few feet from me. I refused to turn and look at him.

"Sookie, do you have any idea how completely stupid and reckless it was for you to leave on your own? We still do not know who burnt your house down. We cannot afford to have you out here on your own."

"Well, I guess you should've thought about that before you decided to play with your little fangbanger whore, then."

He put his hands on my shoulders and forcefully turned me to face him. I tried to push back down the feeling of joy I felt at his touch. "Sookie, you know what I am. It should not surprise you that I have to feed."

"Eric, I understand that. But, I also realize that you can feed off a human without making it sexual. You **choose** to touch her. Don't you care about how that makes me feel?"

"You're one to talk. You're the one who is always talking about being faithful while in a relationship. Yet, I **finally** get the chance to have you for my own, and I have to share you."

"Eric, that's different, and you know it!"

"How is it different, Sookie? You are not only my lover, but Godric's as well. Why am I expected to have only one lover?"

"It's different because you **know** that Godric and I are in love with each other. You were just using that woman to ease your lust!"

"Isn't that what you're doing to Godric, then? You say you love him, yet you have sex with me as well."

"That **still** isn't the same, Eric. Damnit, why can't you see it?"

"See what, Sookie? That I'll always be second best for you? That you will always be with someone else that you care for more than me? Because I see that perfectly clear. That's why I made sure you saw me last night while you were making love to Godric. I waited for some feeling of longing from you, but all I felt was more pleasure."

"Eric, of **course** I felt more pleasure when I saw you. It's because I **always** feel better when you're with me."

"Yes, well, that's just a side effect of taking my blood. It will wear off eventually, and you will be able to go back to being happy and content without me."

"UGH!" I screamed at the top of my lungs and stomped my foot. "You are so damn stubborn that you can't even see what is plainly right before you! This will **NOT** wear off, Eric. It's not some stupid side effect of your blood that makes me feel this way."

"Well then, why don't you enlighten me? What **does** make you feel this way, Sookie?"

"The fact that I've fallen completely head over heels in love with you!!"


	12. Chapter 12

Eric just stared at me. He had no response. Times like these were when I **really** wish I could read vampire minds. I would give anything to know what he was thinking right at that moment. To my horror, I began to cry again, silent tears falling down my cheeks.

At the sight of those tears, Eric finally spoke. "Sookie, you don't know what you are talking about. You cannot love me."

"Well, Eric, I hate to contradict you, but, I **do** love you. So much that it frightens me. I've been in love before, obviously. But, never in my life have I fallen this hard for someone this fast."

"This is exactly why it can't be true."

"Why, Eric? Why do you honestly believe that I can't be in love with you?"

"How can you love someone you don't truly know?" His mood had instantly gone from anger to melancholy.

"Eric, I **do** know you. And, if there's parts of you I don't know, it's because you've chosen to keep them from me. Up until recently, I thought I hated you. I thought you were the most evil, manipulative creature to ever walk this Earth. But, going with you to Dallas has ended up being one of the best things that has ever happened to me. Not only because I was able to find Godric, again. But, also because I was able to see a side of you that I don't think I would've **ever** seen otherwise. You were ready to sacrifice yourself in order to free Godric and me. You were the one who healed me when Bill hurt me, and you allowed yourself to be appointed as my guardian when his treachery was discovered. It's you who has been working so diligently to discover who torched my house. Without even a second thought, you made sure that Jessica would be protected after my home was gone. You've been the one working with my insurance agent to make sure things are taken care of. Godric told me that the reason you were there in the room with us last night, was because something you found out upset you, and that you just wanted to be near me. Instead of granting Luke's request and killing him, you erased his memory of what he'd done and gave him **and** his family a new life." I raised my hand to caress his cheek. "Eric, just because you feel that you don't understand what it means to love someone, that doesn't mean that someone can't love **you**."

He turned from me, and walked a few steps away. Then, he just stared up at the moon. "And, just in case you're wondering, I don't expect you to say that you love me back. Yes, I would be the happiest woman alive if you did love me, but, I also know that it takes a lot for a vampire to feel that. And, when it all comes right on down to it, I guess I don't even really **need** for you to be completely faithful to me." He turned at this, looking speculative. "I want to be with you. But, I also want to be with Godric. I know that it is unfair for me to think that I can have two lovers, and that you both can only have me. But, you need to remember that I'm not the one who chose this. I only allowed my heart to cling to both of you because you kept encouraging it. I'm not blaming you, and I'm not saying you tricked me. If you want other women, fine. But, **tell** me that. Don't just keep it a secret until I walk into your office and see you with someone else. Eric, you are a very important piece of my life. I don't want to loose you. I will take whatever part of yourself you're willing to offer. And, in return, you will have my unconditional love. Eric, you know that I love Godric very much, but, honestly, it pales in comparison to what I feel for you. And, I swear to God I will stake you myself if you ever tell him I said this, but, when I'm not with him, I miss him, I wish I was with him. When I'm not you, I can't breathe."

I turned my back to him and looked down at my feet. I felt all kinds of embarrassed about what I'd just said. I hadn't realized I felt that strongly until I saw him with someone else. I don't know how or when it happened, but suddenly, my entire world revolved around Godric and Eric. If I didn't have one of them, everything was out of order, as if gravity suddenly changed.

I felt him come to stand directly behind me, his breath on the back of my neck. I wanted him to touch me. I wanted him to hold me, and kiss me. I just wanted him. Just when I had made the decision to turn and kiss him myself, I heard his cell phone ringing. He stepped away from me to answer it. A moment later, I heard my own phone chime that I had a new text message. It was from Godric. It simply said, "Come home now."

I shut my phone and put it in my pocket just as Eric was shutting his. "Keys," he said, his voice full of authority. I tossed him the keys to the civic, and within seconds, we were speeding back towards Shreveport.

"Eric, what's going on? Godric's text just said for me to come home."

"The Magister is at Fangtasia, Sookie. Apparently, he caught wind of what happened to your home, and what was planned for Merlotte's. He is questioning whether or not I'm capable of protecting you." I became overwhelmed just thinking about having to leave Eric and Godric.

He must have felt my fear, because he reached over and took my hand in his, twined our fingers together, and kissed the back of my hand. "Do not be afraid, lover. Godric and I will protect you. No one can take you from me. I've waited too damned long to have you, and I refuse to loose you."

We drove the rest of the way in silence. Just as he turned into the parking lot, he said, "Sookie, he cannot know that you ran from me tonight. Pam told him that you'd had an argument with your brother, and you asked me to take you somewhere private to let off some steam." I just nodded, understanding the implications if the Magister knew that Eric had allowed me to run away from him.

There weren't many cars in the lot, and, I figured that all of the humans had been sent home once the Magister had arrived. Eric took us through the employees entrance, through the hallway to the main bar area. When we passed his office, I looked inside to see Jessica, looking terrified, with another female vampire trying to calm her down. That's when I remembered that this was the man who'd forced her to become a vampire against her will. My terror was driven up a notch.

As we walked into the main bar area, I saw that Pam, Chow, and Godric were all standing against the bar, while a man I'd never before seen, I assumed it wasThe Magister, sat in Eric's 'throne.' He stood as we entered.

"Aww, Sheriff, how nice of you to finally join us." He didn't sound pleased.

"Yes, Magister. I apologize for my tardiness. We were not expecting you."

"But that's the best time to arrive. When you're unexpected. It allows you to see what is **really** going on, not just what someone wishes you to see."

He slowly walked towards us, and began to circle me. "Sheriff, this is the Telepath?"

Eric nodded, and said, "Yes, sir. May I present to you Miss Sookie Stackhouse."

He was suddenly right in front of me, looking directly into my eyes. "Well, it most certainly is a pleasure to finally meet you Miss Stackhouse. As I'm sure you're aware now, we have been keeping our eyes on you for quite some time. Tell me, how do you feel about this Sheriff being your guardian?"

I wish Eric had prepared me better for this. I had no idea how to respond. "Well, sir, I certainly feel safe when I'm with him." I could tell by the look on the Magister's face, this wasn't exactly the right answer. I tried to fix the situation. "What I mean is that I do not believe that anyone would ever be able to separate us and harm me when he is around. As I'm sure you're aware, he was able to stop two attempts on my life recently."

"Yes, I have heard of the fire at your home, and the bomber at your place of employment. Tell me, Sheriff," he turned his attention to Eric, "Do you have any ideas as to who the arsonist was?"

"I have my suspicions, sir. However, I do not have anything concrete to go on for now."

The Magister looked back to me, and stared at me for a moment. "Godric, do come here, please."

Godric came to stand at by me, so that he was on one side of me, with Eric on the other. The Magister simply watched us for a few moments. "Yes, I do believe this is the solution to our problem. Miss Stackhouse, beside you stands the two oldest vampires in this country. They also happen to be the only two vampires older than myself on this entire continent. If they cannot ensure your safety, then you are truly doomed." He paused for a moment, almost as if he was rethinking what he'd just said.

"The three of you will form a blood bond. I want both vampires tied to this human. As you are Maker and Child, you already know that you are stronger together than apart. You will both exchange blood with her, and protect her as long as she lives." I didn't quite understand everything he was saying, but, it was easy to recognize the depth of what he was telling us to do.

"Magister," Godric spoke. "We have each exchanged blood with her at least once, but, as you know, it takes at least thrice for a bond to be formed. I would request that you allow us to exchange with her in the privacy of our own home this night, and again in two nights time, so as to not weaken her at all."

The Magister simply nodded. "It is done. I will return in three nights to ensure you have done as ordered." He approached me, took my hand in his, lifting it to his face, and smelling before he placed a chaste kiss on my knuckles. "Yes, I'd heard you were quite unique. As I said, it was a pleasure to finally meet you my dear." And just like that, he was gone.

"Pam, lock up. Take Jessica to your home for the day. Godric, Sookie and I are going to need a little privacy, so it would seem." Pam nodded, and Eric turned to me, took my hand in his, and led me back out to the car, with Godric right behind us.

I was still very tense, and confused, as Eric drove the three of us home. No one spoke a word. Once we'd returned home, Eric led us to the bedroom we'd all been sharing, and he sat me down on the bed. "Sookie, do you understand what the Magister has ordered us to do?"

"Um, no, not really. I'm sorry, I was trying to follow, but, he lost me."

"Do you be sorry, darling." Godric said. "This is something that you and I discussed briefly earlier. It is not so very common for a vampire to willingly share their blood with a human. When a vampire and a human have shared each other's blood three times, a blood bond is formed. They can feel each other's emotions, sense danger, and locate each other much more effectively. This bond is permanent, and will only be broken when one of the two meets their final death." I nodded, showing I understood.

"Sookie, once a human has bonded with a vampire, there is no turning back. I am sorry that this has been forced upon you." I was somewhat shocked to hear Eric say this.

"Don't be sorry. It's okay. I don't mind, really." I turned my attention to Godric. "Godric, I should tell you, I had an epiphany this evening. It occurred to me that I am in love with both of you, and now you both know. I understand that, for a vampire, sharing is not easy. I don't expect for the two of you to have to share me, but remain faithful to me, and forsake all others. If you choose to take another lover, that is fine. But, please do not hide it from me. But, also please don't flaunt it in front of my face."

He put his hand on my cheek. "Sookie, I respect your decision. However, I would not feel any pleasure from touching another now that I've touched you. You truly are a goddess."

I looked down, blushing. "Okay then," I looked up at them again with conviction. "So, how do we do this blood exchange thing?"


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N Well, my lovelies, here's a slightly belated, lemonicious Halloween treat for y'all! Enjoy, and don't forget to review!!!**

Eric and Godric looked at each other over my head, almost as if they were having an entire conversation that I couldn't hear. Heck, for all I know they could've been!

After another few minutes of silence, Eric looked down into my face and said, "I will go take a shower, so the two of you can have some privacy. I will return shortly, lover." He pressed a quick kiss to the top of my head, and went into the bathroom. I didn't understand why he felt Godric and I were in need of privacy, but, I was glad that he was taking a shower. I didn't want to cuddle with him smelling like _her_.

Godric sat next to me on the bed, put his arm around me, and I laid my head down on his shoulder. "Darling, are you positive this is what you want? I'm sure that we could come up with an alternative if we needed to."

"I'm sure, Godric. I just don't want the two of you to feel trapped."

He pulled his arm back and turned to look at me, holding my face in his hands. "Sookie, I _choose_ to be with you. Please. Do not ever think that I am missing out on something by being with you. I have roamed the Earth for over 2,000 years. I have seen many things. I have had many experiences. None of them comes even remotely close to what I feel when I am with you. If I believed in it, I would say that you are my destiny."

I leaned in and kissed him reverently. I'd meant what I'd said earlier. I was very much in love with this beautiful, powerful man in front of me. When he pulled back from the kiss, I turned my head so the side, offering him my neck. I saw his eyes darken as his fangs ran out. He kisses the pulse point at the junction of my neck and shoulder, and bit as gently as he could. I gasped a little at the sharp pain, but it only lasted a moment. He took a few pulls of my blood, and then licked the wound to seal it. Without missing a beat, he brought his own wrist to his mouth, bit down, and offered it to me. I put my lips to the wound, and sucked down his thick blood. After a moment, the wound healed itself, and he pulled me to him in a tight embrace.

He continued to simply hold me until Eric came out of the bathroom. Godric looked up at him and said, "It is done." Eric nodded and sat down into the large armchair next to the bed.

"Would you like me to leave you for a few moments," Godric asked him.

"No. Actually, there are a few things that I wish to discuss with both of you." I silently hoped that he didn't want to have a deep conversation. I was physically and emotionally exhausted. It had been a very long night, and I knew that dawn was rapidly approaching.

"Sookie," he began, "it feels like a great honor to be loved by you. I wish that I could tell you that I am in love with you, as well. But, I will not tell you that I feel something that I am not sure I do indeed feel. Yes, I care for you. More than I've ever cared for any other save Godric. I cannot promise you that I will be able to remain faithful to you. I will promise this though, I will never flaunt another woman in your face. No one will ever know if I choose to have sex with another. I will not let my weaknesses embarrass you." I felt my heart sink a little, but, I knew that he was already making so many concessions for me. "The relationship we share is incredibly unique. I suggest we set some ground rules. This is no longer my bedroom; it is a resting place for all of us. If the two of you should ever want to be alone together, you simply need to say so, and I will sleep in one of the other rooms. Godric, I would ask the same of you." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Godric nod respectfully to Eric.

Eric stood and came to stand directly in front of me. "Sookie, why don't you get ready for bed, and then you and I will exchange blood so you can get some rest. You must be exhausted." I nodded, grabbed some pajamas, and went into the bathroom. I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and changed my clothes. When I went back to the bedroom, Eric was reclined on the bed, and Godric was sitting in the armchair. Eric opened his arms to me, and I sighed with pleasure at feeling him envelope me in his embrace. After he held me for a moment, he picked up my arm and placed a kiss to my wrist. "May I?" He asked so sweetly, I knew I could never deny him anything. I nodded, and he gently bit into my wrist. A moment later, he licked the wound, and placed my hand on his stomach. He reached over to the nightstand and pulled a small knife from a drawer. Looking deeply into my eyes as he did it, he placed the knife to his chest, and cut the flesh just above his nipple. "Drink, my lover."

As I put my mouth to the wound on his chest and began to drink, I felt his grip on me tighten, and his chest rumbled with a growl. I could hear the same noise coming from Godric as well. I shifted my body closer to Eric's and felt him harden against my leg. I wanted him so badly in that moment, but knew that I was simply too tired, and dawn was coming. Once the wound had closed, Godric joined us, spooning me from behind. Just as my eyes were beginning to close, I heard Eric whisper, "Nothing will ever part us."

If I had any dreams while I slept, I didn't know it. The emotional rollercoaster I'd gone on last night served to exhaust me, body and soul, and I slept deeply, trying to recover. At one point I bolted upright in bed, positive I'd heard someone calling my name. But, there was no one else in the house, and Eric and Godric were both still sleeping, as it was still early in the afternoon. I got up to use the bathroom, cuddled up to Godric and went back to sleep.

"_So beautiful…want her so bad…taste…love her…touch me lover…so perfect…smells so good…need her now…made for each other…oh fuck…my beautiful Sookie…_" I was being assaulted from all directions. I could feel hands and lips burning trails along my skin, as thoughts filled my mind. The words were overlapping, jumbled thoughts of lust and desire. I opened my eyes, trying to get my bearings. Before I even knew what was going on, they had me squirming in pure pleasure. Godric was in front of me, stroking my stomach with one hand, massaging my breast with the other while he hungrily sucked on my nipple. Behind me, Eric was sucking on my ear lobe, gripping my hip while he pressed his substantial erection against my bottom. Apparently, they'd already removed my pajamas.

"_Yes…so good…be inside her…tastes so good…need her…love her…want her… beautiful…tight…wet…hot…soft…beautiful…loves me…mine forever…never take her away from me…need her now…want her…my lover…_"

It was all becoming too much. Just when I thought I would sit up screaming, I felt Eric lift my leg slightly and enter me from behind. I cried out at the shock and pleasure of it. I could handle being in a relationship with both of them. I could handle them each knowing I was having sex with the other. But, this was just a little too out of my normal comfort zone. I was lying on my side, Eric thrusting into me, while Godric worshipped my breasts. And, what was I hearing in my mind?

Eric placed his mouth next to my ear, and whispered to me, "Sookie, lover, just let go. Don't worry about what others have told you is right or wrong. You belong with us. You always have. You always will. Let us all be together as we were meant to be."

And, just like that, I did as he asked. I shut the rational side of my mind down, and just let myself surrender to what my two lovers wanted to give me. I put my hand under Godric's chin, and pulled his mouth to mine, kissing him deeply. I only broke the kiss when I became lightheaded from lack of oxygen. He took my hand, and slowly moved it downwards and placed it on his cock. I let my fingers encircle him, and slowly began to stroke up and down his hard flesh.

"_Feels so damn good…so perfect…beautiful…so tight…mine…wish I could taste…I love you…need you…forever…_"

Godric continued to kiss me and massage my breast with one hand, while he moved his other to rub circles around my nub. I could feel my orgasm slowly building, so I tightened my grip on him and stroked harder and faster, wanting him to find his release as well. Eric's thrusts had sped up, and I could tell by his moans that he was close as well. In that moment, I wanted nothing more than for all three of us to climax together.

"_Oh yes…please…almost…need…want…lover…amazing…harder…_"

My entire world exploded and I saw stars. I was rocked to the core by the intensity of my orgasm. I felt Eric's body jerk and knew he'd found his release at the same time, and only barely registered the wet sensation on my hand that signaled Godric had as well. Godric rested his head against my collarbone as my breathing slowed down, and Eric laid his on my shoulder.

"_I never want to be apart from her again…I want to love her…_"

After allowing my body to calm down for a few minutes, I smiled at Godric, placed a kiss to his lips and whispered, "I love you," then turned and did the same for Eric. I went into the bathroom and got into the shower. As I washed my hair, I tried to come up with a reasonable explanation for what had just happened. I couldn't have been hearing their thoughts. It wasn't possible. Vampires are silent to me. Just to be sure, I let my mind roam, and sure enough, picked up two blank signals coming from the bedroom. It must've been my imagination.

After I'd finished up in the bathroom, I went back to the bedroom to find Eric tying his shoes. "Where's Godric?"

"He went to one of the other bathrooms to shower. We have some important business to tend to, and need to leave as soon as possible."

"Okay, where are we going?" I asked with a smile. He looked at me with an unreadable expression on his face.

"New Orleans."

"Okay, um, why?" I was nervous. New Orleans was where Bill was.

"We need to speak with the Queen. As I told the Magister last evening, I have a lead on who might've started the fire at your home. If it is true, she will most likely be aware of it. And, since the Magister has ordered us to be your protectors, Sophie Ann will be, _compelled_, to answer our questions."

The way he said the word 'compelled' sent a shiver down my spine, and not in a good way. I knew that Eric and Godric were both capable of being ruthless and vicious, and that it would be to my benefit. But, I didn't enjoy seeing it.

Not much later, we were back in the Civic again, speeding along the highway headed south. It was about 300 miles to New Orleans, and with the way that Eric drives, it would take around 3 ½ hours to get there. I opted to sit in the back seat with Godric, and I put my back to his chest and allowed my head to rest on his shoulder so I could try to get more sleep. But, every time I closed my eyes, my mind flashed back to what I'd heard while we were all in bed together, and I finally gave up on sleeping.

Just as we were entering the city limits, Eric started to speak. "Sookie, you must understand something about Sophie Ann. Although she is bound by the Magister's edict that you be protected, she is still ruthless and manipulative. I do not doubt that she will try to find a way to maneuver you away from us. Whatever happens, follow our lead, and do your best to make sure one of us is always with you."

I just nodded, too nervous to speak. Godric took my hand and gave it a squeeze, trying to reassure me. "You will be fine, love. We will allow no harm to come to you."

We drove through a couple of security checkpoints, where armed guards spoke to Eric, and directed him where to park. Once we left the car, Godric stood on my right side, holding my hand, with Eric on my left, also holding my hand. We were led through a series of hallways, and finally out into a courtyard. There was a pool, with many votive candles floating in it. The air was full of the scent of fresh flowers, and I was taken aback at the beauty of it all. That is, until we reached the end of the path we were walking on. In front of me sat three Vampires. One, I assume it was the Queen, was a short, thin woman with long caramel colored hair. She looked no older than 16, and I guessed that she had been turned at a very early age. She was pale, obviously, and had a full, plump lips, and large, round brown eyes. She was lovely. Seated to her right was a male Vampire who didn't look any older than the Queen herself. He had closely cropped blonde hair, and a rather plain looking face with blue eyes. To the Queen's left, sat Bill. Oh, great. Just who I needed to see to help me calm my nerves.

"Ahh, Eric, Godric! To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" Sophie Ann asked.

"Your majesty," Eric began, bowing his head, "we come seeking information."

"Really? Do tell me, what is it you would like to know?"

"As I'm sure you know, the Magister has commanded that we protect this human with our very existence. Someone recently set fire to her home, and I believe it was an attempt to kill her. We are trying to discover who is responsible so that we may prevent them from causing further harm."

Sophie Ann turned to the unknown vampire; they looked like they were having a silent conversation. "Eric, where are you manners? You have not yet introduced your, _delectable_ human to me." I had to force back a shutter as she looked at me like a piece of chocolate.

"Forgive me, your Majesty. May I present Miss Sookie Stackhouse." Then, turning to me, he said, "Sookie, this is her Majesty Sophie Ann LeClerq, Queen of Louisiana." I could tell by the look he gave me that I was supposed to give her some sign of respect.

I smiled, nodded my head and bobbed in a little half-curtsy, and then looked to her and said, "Your majesty, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Sophie Ann giggled a little at this, and I saw Bill smirk. "Well, aren't you just the most well-mannered sweet Southern Belle." She stood and came to stand in front of me. She reached out and took my hand in hers, raising my wrist to her nose and asked, "May I, my dear?" I wasn't sure if she was asking if she could smell me or bite me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Godric give me a slight nod, so I nodded at her.

She put bent her head slightly and smelled my wrist. She closed her eyes and held her breath as if she didn't want to loose the scent she'd picked up. "Yes, I do believe I am beginning to see what all the fuss is about."

She turned and walked back to her seat, simply saying, "Ask your questions Sheriff, but beware, you may not like the answers."

"Did you issue an order for Sookie's home to be set on fire?"

"Oh, Eric, of course not. Why would I do that? If I want to have her valuable skills at my disposable, the last thing I'd do is arrange for her death."

"Are you aware of anyone **else** ordering her home be burned?"

"No. If any such order was issued, it is outside of my knowledge."

I could tell that each of them was picking their words very carefully, but I wasn't following the hidden meanings.

"In that case, your majesty, I would ask that if you should hear of any orders concerning her, that you please contact us." Bill's eyebrows shot up at this request. Apparently, the Queen wasn't used to reporting to her underlings.

"Oh, but of course. I'd hate for something to happen to her." Her words were laced with warning.

Godric and Eric nodded to Sophie Ann, and we turned to leave. "Oh, you aren't leaving so soon are you? Please, stay the night. I insist." Godric's grip on my hand tightened, and they once again began to lead me out of the courtyard.

The moment we were back in one of the hallways, Eric and Godric stopped to speak. "Eric, we have no choice, we must stay. We will just take Sookie to whatever room Sophie Ann gives us, and stay there until sunset tomorrow." None of us wanted to stay there any longer than necessary. But, Eric nodded, and a guard in the hallway told us to follow him to our room.

Once we were in our room, Eric pulled out his cell phone to call Pam to let her know we wouldn't be returning until the next night. I sat on a couch in the middle of the room, and Godric walked to a fridge in the corner, grabbed a bottle of water and brought it to me. He crouched down in front of me, and held my free hand while I gulped down the water.

Just as Eric was beginning to say something, there was a knock at the door, and both Vampires went into full 'danger' mode. "Who is it?" Eric called.

"It's Bill. I'd like to speak with you for a moment."

It was easy to see how irritated Eric was as he went to the door and opened it. "What do you want, Compton?"

"If I may come in, I wanted to speak with you about Jessica."

Eric stood out of the way of the door, and Bill walked in, his eyes coming straight to me. Godric had sat down next to me, putting his arm around me waist and holding me close, and I was resting my hand high up on his thigh. I saw pure rage in Bill's eyes.

"The Queen has given me an assignment that will require my presence her for the next couple of months. Once it is complete, she would like for me to go back to Bon Temps, assuming you will still allow me in your area." He waited for Eric to say something, but, when Eric remained silent, Bill continued. "I was hoping that you would allow Jessica to continue to stay with you until I am able to return to my home. It makes no sense to have her move here, only to move back in a few months time. Plus, she has become quite attached to Hoyt. I feel that it would just be cruel to force them to part now."

Eric seemed to be thinking about Bill's request for a moment, and then said, "That is fine. She may stay with us until your project here is complete. When that time comes, you and I will meet to discuss whether or not you are still welcome in my area." His voice was full of contempt.

For some reason, Bill didn't seem to understand how upset Eric already was with him, because, the next words out of his mouth were, "May I have a word with Sookie, in private?"

I heard Eric and Godric both growl. I turned to face Godric and put my hand on his cheek. "It's fine. I'll be alright. Just go into the other room and shut the door." I could tell he didn't like the situation, but nodded just the same. I leaned in and kissed him on his lips. Then, I stood and walked to Eric, putting my arms around his neck, and kissed him as well, this one a little more forceful. I heard his slight chuckle, and knew that he understood what message I was trying to send to Bill.

Once they had both gone into the other part of the room and shut the door, I turned to look at Bill, waiting for him to speak.

"Sookie, I know you are very angry with me, now. But, you must know that I was only following orders."

"Bill, I understand that you were sent to Bon Temps on direct orders that you could not disobey. That's fine. However," I continued as he began to smile, "You should not have kept those orders a secret from me. You should've been up front and honest with me about why you were there."

"Sookie, it is no different than when the Magister sent Godric to you before."

"Oh, yes it is! Godric didn't introduce himself to me until after he was no longer under orders to watch me. And the fact that it happened **before** the great revelation makes a very big difference."

"Fine. Continue to spend all of your time with them. Don't you see what it is doing to you? Is your sanity so far gone that you don't realize how wrong it is that you're fucking both of them?!?" He was shouting now.

The door from the other room flew open and Godric and Eric both were suddenly ready to pounce on Bill. But, I stood in front of them, and put a hand on each of their chests, silently asking them to let me handle it.

"Bill, I am bound to them. I am in love with them. I have given myself freely to them because I know that they are completely open and honest with me. As far as I'm concerned, the three of us are one, and if you insult one of us, you insult all of us. Do you really want to see what happens when you call your Sheriff insane?"

Bill looked at us disgustedly for a moment, then turned and left the room. As soon as the door clicked shut, I turned to say something to them, but by the time I'd opened my mouth, it was otherwise occupied.

Godric kissed me with wild abandon, and picked me up as I wrapped my legs around his waist. He moved us with vampiric speed to stand next to the bed, and I felt Eric's hands ripping the shirt off my body. Godric set me back on my feet, and the two of them had me completely naked within seconds. Godric kissed me again as Eric stripped his own clothes off. He positioned himself on the bed, and beckoned me to him. With an animalistic lust I'd never known myself capable of, I crawled on my hands and knees until my head was over his waist, our bodies forming a 90º angle. I licked my lips seductively, and dropped my head to lick and kiss his cock, his moan of pleasure encouraging me to continue. I had never done this with Bill, so, it would be a new experience. As I allowed my lips to slide over him and take him into my mouth, I felt one of Godric's fingers begin to probe me from behind. I moaned in ecstasy, which caused Eric to growl. Godric began to slowly thrust his finger in and out of me as I began to mimic his movements with my mouth on Eric. Before I had the chance to complain when he removed his hand from me, it was replaced by his cock. He pushed hard into me, burying himself to the hilt, and I cried out with the force of it. As he grabbed my hips and began to move inside me, I put my mouth back on Eric, taking as much of him into my mouth as I could, and stroking the rest with my hand. The sounds the three of us were making were of pure lust. I knew that none of us was going to last very long. I reached one hand around to pull Godric's body as close to mine as possible, trying to push my shoulders against his chest. Then, I took my other hand and offered it to Eric. They understood what I was asking for. A moment later, Eric bit into my wrist just as Godric bit down on my shoulder, and we all reached our release together again.

Soon, I was lying in their arms again, sated, and content. I was asleep within minutes.


	14. Chapter 14

Unfortunately, I wasn't asleep for long. No more than 30 minutes could've passed before the sound of knocking on the door woke me. Eric was immediately out of the bed, pulling on his jeans. As he left the bedroom to entire the main room, he turned back to Godric, and nodded. I swear, they must have some sort of silent communication going on, because they do that **a lot**.

Eric closed the bedroom door most of the way, and Godric leaned in to whisper to me that we should get dressed, but not leave the bedroom. I stood and pulled on my panties, jeans and bra, but discovered that my shirt was in tatters. Godric smirked, and handed me Eric's shirt.

I heard Eric speaking to someone in the main room, and strained my ears to listen.

"Andre, what is this about?" Eric made no attempt to hide his anger at our rest being interrupted.

"We have a proposition for you. Trust me, it is not something you would want to pass up." The man speaking to Eric had a faint accent which I couldn't quite place. I wondered if he was the blonde vampire I'd seen sitting next to Sophie Ann.

"And just what is it that you are offering?"

"Although she herself is not involved in the plot against Miss Stackhouse, Her Majesty does have knowledge of it. We can make the threat go away." I saw Godric stiffen where he was standing next to me. I'd wondered if he and Eric had suspected as much.

"And what exactly would the Queen ask for in return?"

"Oh, I think you know, Eric."

"Absolutely not. I would never allow her to be put in that position."

"Oh, Eric. That **is** a poor choice. Of course, we cannot force you to comply without bringing the wrath of the Magister on us. But do not forget that Sophie Ann is your Queen. All those who disobey her will be punished….one way or another." I heard the door open and shut again, signaling the visitors exit.

A moment later, Eric came back into the bedroom and sat down on the bed, resting his elbows on his knees and burying his face in his hands. After a moment of tense silence, I looked to Godric, who nodded at me. I went to the bed and sat next to Eric, wrapping my arms around him as best as I could, laying my head on his shoulder.

After another few minutes, he sat up abruptly, took my face in his hands, and kissed me fiercely. When he finally broke the kiss, he put his forehead to mine, and whispered, "She cannot have you." Then, he stood, looked to Godric and said, "We must leave immediately. I want as much distance as possible between Sookie and Sophie Ann."

If any of the guards thought it was odd that we were leaving only 4 hours prior to dawn, and that Eric was shirtless, they sure didn't say anything to us about it. Once again, Eric drove, and I reclined in the back and put my head in Godric's lap. This time, I had no problems falling asleep.

When I woke, I was back in my own bed with Godric and Eric. They had stripped me of all of my clothing except Eric's shirt. I looked at my watch, and noticed that it was still early, only 3pm. So, I went into the kitchen and made a pot of coffee and ate a bowl of cold cereal. Once I finished eating, I went back into the bathroom and ran a bubble bath. I hadn't realized how sore my muscles were until I'd immersed myself in the hot water. It felt divine. I must have dozed off, because I suddenly noticed that the water was several degrees cooler.

I shaved my legs until they were baby smooth, and washed my hair. Once I'd finished in the tub, I took the time to dry and curl my hair, and apply some make-up. When I left the bathroom to get dressed, I glanced at the clock and saw it was 6pm. Godric and Eric would be up soon. I put on a pair of skimpy denim shorts and a red tank top, sat down in the arm chair next to the bed, and waited.

About 15 minutes later, I saw Godric beginning to stir. His arm reached out to where I had been lying, and when it found only air, he raised his head in search of me. When he turned and saw me sitting in the chair, I saw his eyes widen slightly, and very distinctly heard his fangs run out. I smiled just a tiny bit, and bit my lower lip. When I heard a low rumble start in his chest, it was hard not to laugh. I had never thought of myself as being seductive, but apparently, I wasn't bad at it.

Just when it looked like Godric was preparing to pounce on me, Eric sat up as well. He more or less had the same reaction to my skimpy outfit.

"Well, boys, now that I have your undivided attention, we have a few things to talk about." They both look skeptical, as if they didn't think I'd really be able to stop them from doing something **other** than talking.

"First off, if it's at all possible, I'd like to have someone take me to a grocery store soon so I can pick up a few things that I need." Eric nodded in acquiescence. This was a good start.

"Next, unless I'm mistaken, we're supposed to complete our bonding thing tonight, correct?" Godric nodded, and I continued. "Well, before we get to that, I was wondering if maybe Pam could take me to the mall? There's something special I'd like to pick up beforehand." Neither of them seemed too keen about this idea. Other than when I'd run away after finding Eric in his office with that fangbanger, I hadn't been without one of them since we'd left Dallas. I didn't like being without them either, but, I knew I wouldn't have the guts to buy what I needed with one of them with me.

"That can be arranged, Sookie. However, you will be on a strict time constraint. You will only be allowed to be parted from us for two hours at the most," Eric said. Since it was about a 30 minute drive between the mall and Fangtasia, that would be pushing it, but I'd have to make it work, so I agreed.

"And, finally, I want to know what it is that the Queen wanted in return for telling you who started the fire at my house."

They looked at each other and had another one of their silent conversations. That was really starting to annoy me. Eventually, Godric turned to me and said "She wants our permission to turn you, Sookie." I froze.

"Do not worry, love, it will never happen. First off, we will never allow her to get that close to you. But also, it is not **our** decision to make. Whether you remain human, or become Vampire, is your choice. You would also be the one to determine who your maker would be. We will not allow someone else to control you." I could tell Godric was completely sincere in his words.

I knew that what was going to happen tonight was a very large, very important step in our relationship (I had stop thinking about it as two separate relationships; it wasn't Godric & Sookie, and Eric & Sookie, it was all of us). So, I decided I would set that little piece of information aside for later. Just like Scarlet O'Hara, I would think about that tomorrow.

About 20 minutes later, Eric was in his Corvette, and Godric and I were on the bullet bike, all of us headed to Fangtasia. The plan was to meet Pam there, and she would take me to the mall, and then return me to Eric's house, and Godric and Eric would each meet me there separately.

I don't know what I would've expected to see Pam driving, but was pleasantly surprised as I got into her Nissan Maxima. It was classy, without being flashy. I thought it reflected Pam's personality very well.

"Tell me, Sookie, what exactly is it that we are looking for on this shopping excursion?" She asked after we'd been on the road for about 10 minutes.

"Well, Pam, I'm glad you asked. That's why I specifically asked that you be the one to take me shopping. I want to get some slutty lingerie to wear for Eric." I glanced at her from the corner of my eye to judge her reaction.

A slight smirk crossed her face, before she curled her lips inward, biting them, to keep from laughing out loud. She gave up a moment later and laughed anyway. "Oh, this **will** be a trip to remember."

After an awkward 30 minute foray into Frederick's of Hollywood, with my purse around $75 lighter, we were on our way back to the house. Pam pulled into the drive, and waited to be sure I was securely in the house with the security system set. Just before I waved goodbye to her, she asked, "Now, Sookie, are you sure you don't need my help putting it on? I'd be more than happy to stay…" It was easy to see her fangs were all the way out.

"No, I think I can manage it on my own, thank you very much. Please just make sure that it's **Eric** that comes home first. I can't imagine Godric enjoying this type of outfit."

"Oh, you'd be surprised, my friend." And with that, she was gone.

I knew that it would take Eric about 20 minutes to get home, so I quickly changed into my newly purchased blood red corset and black thigh-high stockings, put on some black high heels, and fixed my hair and makeup. I was pacing the bedroom when I heard the corvette coming to a stop in the garage. As soon as I heard the door from the garage to the house open, I locked myself in the bathroom.

"Sookie? Pam said you requested my presence. Where are you lover?"

"I'm in the bathroom, Eric. Please sit down on the bed; I'll be out in just a minute, okay?" I could tell that my voice sounded a little anxious, but I couldn't help it.

I listened intently, and once I knew that Eric had done what I'd requested of him, I opened the door, and leaned against the doorframe. It didn't take long for him to react.

His fangs ran out immediately, and, it was easy to tell that his pants were becoming uncomfortably tight. I'm sure he had no idea what that had done for my self-esteem, but he would surely reap the benefits of it.

"Hello there, Viking," I said in my best sex kitten voice.

"Lover. You have outdone yourself. I must admit, after seeing you in the beautiful nightie Godric gave you, I didn't think it would be possible for you to look more desirable. But, I can see now that I was very, **very** wrong."

"Oh, baby, you ain't seen nothin' yet." Yeah, I know, corny, but, what the hell.

I walked out of the bathroom, never allowing myself to get close enough for him to touch me. On the other side of the room was an iPod set up to a speaker system, and I'd found the perfect song earlier while I was getting ready. I hit play, and "This Night" by Black Lab began playing.

As the first verse came on, I strode up to the bed, and pulled Eric to his feet, slowly undressing him, pushing his hands away whenever he tried to touch me.

_There are things I have done_

_There's a place I have gone_

_There's a beast and I let it run_

_Now it's running my way…_

_There are things I regret_

_You can't forgive, you can't forget_

_There's a gift that you sent_

_You sent it my way…_

Once he was completely naked, I pushed him back onto the bed until he was lying with his head and shoulders slightly elevated on the pillows. The song moved into the chorus, and I crawled onto his lap and began dancing, imitating the movements of sex.

_So take this night, Wrap it around me like a sheet_

_I know I'm not forgiven, but I need a place to sleep_

_So take this night, and lay me down on the street_

_I know I'm not forgiven, but I hope that I'll be given some peace._

Apparently, he'd decided he'd had enough of the whole "tease" routine. He forcefully grabbed me, and rolled us so he was on top of me, and put his mouth to mine in a toe-curling kiss. His hand roamed down my stomach and in between my legs, until he found the spot where the corset had a clasp. He undid it, and I felt his fingers on my hot skin.

He moaned in appreciation at how wet I already was, and before I knew what was happening, he thrust two fingers into me, and had moved down my body until his tongue found my nub. I was shocked at the quickness of it all. I thought I'd been in charge of our little romp, but, he'd already proven to me that he would always be my master in the bedroom. I didn't mind one bit.

As his tongue and fingers worked their magic on me, I knew it wouldn't take long for me to reach my peak. Within moments, I felt him bite down gently on my inner thigh, allowing my blood to flow into his mouth, and I came hard, seeing stars.

Before I'd completely recovered, he rolled us again, and placed me astride him, lowering my hips until he was completely buried inside me. He guided my hips until we found a rhythm that suited both of us. I knew it wouldn't take long before he joined in pure bliss. When his moans indicated that he was ready to release, I grabbed his wrist, and bit down hard, sucking on the wound, taking him into me in every way possible. I knew that this would bind me to him for the rest of my life. Nothing could've made me happier in that moment.

**A/N There's a link on my profile to the naughty little outfit she wore for Eric. Please Review!!!**


	15. Chapter 15

During the several minutes it took me to catch my breath and have my heart rate return to normal, Eric cradled me in his arms and stroked my hair.

"Sookie, why is it that you insisted on having us separated while we completed our bonding?"

I leaned up on my elbow to look into his eyes. "Well, I know that we are all in this together. But, I wanted each of you to have all of my attention when we did this. I wanted each of you to be able to feel completely how much I love you, and how glad I am to make yourself yours." He laughed out loud in response. "What's so funny?"

"Well, a week ago if someone had told me that you would be in love with me, living with me, sleeping in my bed, and voluntarily bonded to both myself and my maker, I probably would've thought them delusional!"

I laughed with him. "True. But, on the flip side of that, if someone came to me tomorrow and told me that I would never see you again, and that I would have to live without you, I don't think I could do it. You're too much a part of me now." He reached out and slowly stroked the back of his knuckles along my cheek, and I leaned into his hand. He smiled tenderly at me. I suddenly felt overwhelmed by emotion. I gasped, and my eyes widened.

"It's the bond, Sookie. You are feeling now what I am feeling. You will be able to sense when I have strong emotions. You will feel when I am near."

"Will I be able to tell what's coming from you, and what's coming from Godric?"

He looked thoughtful. "I honestly don't know. I have never heard of a human being bonded to two vampires at once. It will be a new experience for all of us. Especially since Godric and I already have such a deep connection."

"Do all vampires have a strong mental connection with their makers?"

"Yes. Unless the maker willingly releases the hold on their child."

"So, you have a connection with both Godric, and Pam, right?"

"Yes."

"Are you able to differentiate between the two?"

"Yes, I am. I'm hoping that is what it will be like for you."

"Eric, can you and Godric communicate with each other telepathically?" I was extremely interested in his answer.

He chuckled lightly. "Yes, we can. But it's not like your telepathy. We can control what thoughts the other can hear."

"Is that something else all vampires can do?"

"No. Every Vampire has certain talents, or, skills. Sometimes, when a new Vampire is turned, they have the same abilities that their maker has. Sometimes it's something completely new and different. For example, Godric and I can both fly, but Pam cannot."

"You said something about a maker 'releasing' their child. And Bill said that Lorena had released him. What exactly does that mean?"

"Well, a Vampire is required to follow their maker's command. Most specifically, you cannot ignore your maker's call. It is both a compulsion that you cannot resist, but, also a sort of law. But, a maker can release their child, so that the child is no longer bound by that any longer."

"Is Pam still fully under your control?"

He laughed. "I have not released her, but I wouldn't exactly say I 'control' her either. She knows that she is welcome to leave at any time. In fact, we were apart for a few hundred years until I called her to assist with Fangtasia when we first opened."

We laid in silence, just holding each other. He'd given me a lot to think about. It hadn't really occurred to me that there was so much about this world that Bill had never shared with me.

"Sookie, what is wrong?" I was surprised at Eric's question. How did he know something was wrong?

"Darling, I can feel your anxiousness through the bond. Please, tell me what is bothering you."

I drew in a deep breath, and let out a long sigh. "Eric, do you think you'll ever be able to love me?

I felt his arms tighten around me possessively. "Honestly Sookie, I don't know. I want to love you. I want to make you as happy as I see Godric makes you. I just do not know that it is something I am capable of. It is something that only time can tell." I nodded my understanding, but he must have felt my disappointment. "Sookie, regardless of whether or not I have the capacity to feel love, I can tell you that I care very deeply for you."

I sat up again and looked into his eyes once more. "Have you and Godric ever shared a woman before?" He smirked a little at my question.

"We have shared lovers before, yes. But, that was many centuries ago, and times were very different then. I can tell you though that, we have never actually **been** with the same woman at the same time before."

"Oh, so you mean you guys aren't like orgy freaks or anything?" The only response I got to that question was a very loud laugh.

"Well darling, I should probably be getting back to the club. I'm sure Godric is anxiously awaiting your time together. I think he was actually a little jealous that you called for me first."

"Well, before you go, do you think you could help me get back out of this corset? It's kinda hard to reach all the snaps."

"Absolutely not, lover. You should keep it on for Godric."

"What? Why? This sort of thing isn't his taste, is it?"

He laughed again. He was doing a lot of that tonight. "Oh, normally he is a bit tamer than I am. But, do not doubt that there is a very wild creature inside of him, and it yearns to be freed on occasion. It would be better for all of us if it were invited out, rather than burst its way forth at an inopportune moment."

He dressed, bent to kiss me, and was gone. As he left, I felt a slight chill run over me, almost as if my temperature went down a few degrees when he wasn't at my side.

I stayed on the bed, simply lying on my side while waiting for Godric. I was thinking about all the things Eric had told me. I must have dozed off, because next thing I knew, Godric was lying next to me, running his fingertips over my arm.

"I think that if **this** was what sleeping beauty had been wearing," he said as he gestured to the corset, "that fairytale would've had a **much** different ending." I chuckled with him. "You look beautiful, Sookie."

"Thanks. I guess I was trying to channel my inner sex kitten."

"Well, anytime she would like to come out and play, please be sure to let me know. I'd be more than happy to make her purr." His eyes were smoldering, and I became lost in them.

He dipped his head and kissed me, very slowly. His hands trailed down my face, then my arms, and finally the rest of my body, almost as if he were trying to memorize every inch of me. I reached down and grabbed the bottom of his shirt, eager to get it off of him so I could feel his body on mine. Once he was shirtless, he began slowly opening the front of my corset to free my breasts. He circled my nipples with his tongue, never actually taking them into his mouth. It was the most exquisite torture.

When he finally closed his mouth over one nipple, I wrapped my hands around his hand and held him to me, begging him to never stop. A groan of frustration left my mouth when his lips came up off my nipple, but he silenced it quickly by moving to my other breast.

I reached down to begin unbuttoning his pants, and he finally caught on to my sense of urgency. In a move so fast I barely saw it happen, he moved off the bed, threw off the rest of his clothing, unhooked my garters from my stockings, and ripped the corset from my body. He did, however, leave my thigh-high black stockings on.

He pulled my legs around his waist, and without further ado, pushed himself into me. I heard him groan in pleasure at how ready I was. He began to move slowly, gradually building speed as time went on. He kissed me over and over, only stopping for short intervals to allow me to breathe. As I felt the familiar tension building in my body, I could tell that he was getting close as well. I reached up underneath the pillow, and grabbed the small dagger I'd stuck there while I was waiting for him to arrive. He understood my intention, and he leaned his head to one side. I cut his flesh, and locked my mouth over the wound and sucked hard. Since my neck was bent to do this, he leaned in and bit as well. We both climaxed as we drank each other in.

I was so relaxed and exhausted, I didn't think I could move. Godric stood and removed my stockings, and arranged the blankets over me so I could get comfortable. After he put the dagger back in its place, he curled up behind me on the bed, and wrapped his arms around me.

I slipped into that sort of half-awake state that you sometimes get in just before you finally go to sleep. I felt Eric's return before I heard it. I heard the door open and close, and a few minutes later, he was crawling into the bed with Godric and me.

"_I assume I owe you a thank you for the outfit Sookie was wearing when I arrived earlier?_"

"_Yes, I told her that you would appreciate it more than she realized._"

"_Oh, I most certainly did. She truly is a vision isn't she? And she has no idea as to how alluring she truly is._"

"_Yes, but, would you really want everyone __**else**__ to know that as well_?"

They were keeping me awake. "Hey, guys, would you mind keeping it down, at least until I'm asleep. I can't quite get there with y'all talking."

"Sookie," came Eric's voice in a cautious tone, "We didn't say anything."


	16. Chapter 16

"What did you just say, Eric?" I was half asleep, and he wasn't making any sense.

"I haven't spoken a word since I entered the house."

"Yes, you have. Godric thanked you for keeping me in the corset, and the two of you agreed with each other that you don't want everyone else to know how alluring you think I am."

I felt Godric stiffen and lean up on his elbow behind me. "Darling, we did have that conversation. But we did not speak the words aloud. We communicated them telepathically."

Now **that** got my attention. I sat up straight, and looked from one to the other several times before continuing. "No. No, this isn't happening. This is **not** possible. I can't hear vampire minds. If I could hear vampire minds and they found out about it, they'd kill me." I was rapidly approaching hysteria.

Eric sat up next to me and took my hands in his. "Sookie, calm down. There is no reason to be upset, yet. We need to try to establish what you are actually able to hear." I nodded my head, wanting very much to figure out what had changed. "I will direct my thoughts to you, the same way I would to Godric, you just tell me if you hear anything, alright?" I nodded, and waited.

"_You truly have the most beautiful breasts I've seen in all my years. If it were possible, I would spend every waking moment fucking you, because the feeling of being inside you is like nothing I've ever experienced._"

I blushed. "If you think I'm repeating what you just said, you've got another thing coming, ya pervert!"

He chuckled a little. "Well, you obvious heard exactly what I said. And, in case you're wondering, it's the truth." He paused for a moment to let me take that in. "Now, we'll try this again, only I won't actively try to direct my thoughts at you. Just tell me what you hear, if anything."

I waited. Nothing. He raised his eyebrows, obviously asking if I'd picked anything up. "No, nothing at all. Is that good?"

"I certainly hope so. Let's try the same thing with Godric, now." I nodded, and turned to face Godric.

"_I've been here in this world twice as long as Eric, and I have to say my love, he most certainly is right about your breasts._"

"Would you guys stop thinking about my boobs, please? We have bigger fish to fry here, people!" They both laughed, and Eric nodded his head for Godric to try and think something this time without directing it at me. And, again, I told them that I'd heard nothing.

"Love, why don't you try to think something to us? We need to be sure if this goes both ways," Godric said.

"Should I try to think to **both** of you, or just one of you?" I wasn't sure how to go about doing this.

"Just try both for now."

I closed my eyes, and concentrated on them. In my head, I sort of pictured a telephone line going straight from my brain, to theirs. "_I hope you both didn't become too fond of that corset. Godric ruined it, and I don't think I have the guts to go back into that store again._"

I saw Godric bend his head and laugh, while Eric said, "Oh, Sookie. We'll order you a new one over the internet."

I smiled. "This is pretty cool. If we can all communicate without words, that definitely gives us a leg up on whoever is trying to kill me, right?"

Eric's expression sobered slightly. "Yes, it certainly does. It also will help deal with Sophie Ann. But, now, it is time for rest. We must meet with the Magister at Fangtasia when we rise, so, Sookie, you will need to have all your wits about you."

I nodded, kissed them both and told them I loved them, and we snuggled into the covers. Before long, I was back at my lake in Hawaii.

When I woke up, I knew it must be close to sunset, because Godric was already in the shower. Eric was still sleeping, so I silently disentangled my body from his, while, in my mind, asking Godric if I could join him.

"_Absolutely, love._"

I went into the bathroom, and tried to casually pee while Godric waited for me. Then, I stripped off my clothes, and stepped into the shower with him. The hot water felt wonderful, and I pressed my chest to his back and held him for a moment. He turned, and moved slightly so I could step under the spray and wet my hair.

"_I would like for you to practice communicating with only your mind, alright?_" I heard his clear voice in my head.

"_Sure, why not. I've gotta get used to this somehow, right?_"

"_Tell me, was Eric able to answer all of your questions about what the bonding means?_"

"_Yes, for now. I'm sure that I'll have more questions as time goes on. I'm still just a little overwhelmed._"

"_Understandably so. Just remember that no one else can know that we can speak with each other this way. And, you can always feel free to ask us questions. Neither of us wants you to feel anxious about being with us._"

I smiled, and leaned forward to kiss him. I had only intended it to be a short kiss. Godric had something entirely else in mind apparently. The moment our lips met, he put his hand behind my head, not allowing me to pull back. I felt his tongue against my mouth, and parted my lips, granting him access. He kissed me deeply for several minutes, allowing all the love he felt for me to pour through the bond.

"_As much as the two of you are enjoying yourselves, I don't think the Magister will take 'making out' as a good enough excuse for us to be late_." It was Eric's voice. I heard Godric chuckle, and knew he'd heard it as well.

We finished washing up, and Godric went to get dressed while I dried my hair and slapped on some make-up. By the time I exited the bathroom, Eric and Godric were both dressed, and each of them had a bottle of True Blood. Eric had set clothes out for me on the bed. I looked at them, then at him, and raised an eyebrow. He smirked, and I knew without asking that he wouldn't give me a reason he'd done it.

I slipped on the clothes he'd picked out for me. It was a very nice pair of designer jeans, and a red silk blouse. I was reminded again of how much Eric liked the color red on me. Once we were ready to leave, I followed them out to the garage. I wondered if we would be taking separate vehicles again, and got my answer when they both led me to the Civic. Within 10 minutes, we were pulling into the parking lot at Fangtasia.

Once I was out of the car, Eric took my hand in his, and told me, in our own little way, "_Sookie, you must remember to keep a calm façade while we communicate telepathically. We cannot allow for anyone to suspect anything._" I nodded, and he placed a short, but very sweet kiss to my lips. He intertwined my fingers with his, and Godric took my other hand and did the same, and we made our way into Fangtasia.

This time, the Magister hadn't arrived first. The bar was empty except for Pam and Jessica. While Eric went to speak with Pam, Jessica pulled me in for a hug. The last time we had seen each other was the first night the Magister came, and I'm sure she was glad to have company other than Pam.

"Sookie, I'm so glad to see you!" She said with obvious enthusiasm. "Holy cow, you look gorgeous!" I knew what she was talking about. While I was doing my hair earlier, it occurred to me that my appearance had changed a little after the final blood exchanges. My hair was more blonde, and my eyes were brighter. My body had changed as well. It looked as if my breasts were just a tiny bit fuller, and my curves seemed more defined. Very old vampire blood seemed to be doing well in my system.

"It's good to see you too, Jess. How's it been staying with Pam?" She made a face and rolled her eyes, which was all the answer I needed. We laughed together, and I was happy to see that she was doing well.

After I'd spent a few minutes chatting with Jessica about what she'd been up to with Pam, Godric came and put his hand on my shoulder. "It's time, Sookie, he is here." I saw a look of fear cross Jessica's face, and she hurried off to Eric's office while Pam went to the employee's entrance to admit the Magister and his entourage.

Godric and Eric both came to stand beside me, Godric taking my hand, and Eric resting his hand on the small of my back. I suddenly felt overwhelmed with serenity. "_Back off a little bit on the warm fuzzies, guys, it's a little much!_" I felt them pull it back, but not all the way.

As the Magister came into the main bar area, Godric and Eric both bent over from the waist, as a sign of respect. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to or not, so, I bent my shoulders a little, and saw an approving look cross the Magister's face.

"Ah, Miss Stackhouse. You look lovely this evening." He took my free hand and brought it to his face. He sniffed my wrist, and then placed a kiss on my knuckles.

"Thank you very much, sir. I really appreciate the compliment." I figured I'd lay on the charm a little bit.

He took a step back and just watched the three of us as we stood there. Just as I was getting ready to ask Godric and Eric what was going on, he finally spoke. "I can tell by your scent that you have indeed exchanged blood with both of your guardians. Tell me, Eric, are you each having a sexual relationship with her?"

My back stiffened a bit, and I felt Godric's hand tighten on mine as his inner voice said, "_it's not a complete surprise that he's asking us this, do not worry, it will be fine._"

"Yes, sir, we are."

"And is it normal for you to exchange a small amount of blood sometimes during your lovemaking?"

"Yes it is."

"Good. That should be enough then to ensure that the bond continues at it's strongest. If either one of you feel your connection with her is weakening, you will need to complete another full exchange to bring it up to strength. And I should warn you, failure to protect her will be punishable with final death." He bowed his head to me, and then he was gone.

"Wow. Really? That's it? I guess I expected something more."

"His only reason for coming here tonight was to make sure that we had completed the bond, and, since he was easily convinced of it, there was no reason for him to linger," Eric answered.

Something must have caught his attention then, because he turned his head as is to look down the hallway towards his office, and then turned back to me with a smile. "It seems our guests have arrived."

"Guests? What are you talking about?"

But, I saw my answer before he had a chance to say it. Coming down the hallway from the employees entrance were Tara, Lafayette, Jason and Hoyt. Jessica came out of the office with a huge smile on her face as soon as she saw Hoyt. I squealed with delight, and ran to hug my friends.

"Oh my goodness! It is so good to see you guys! But what are you doing here?"

Jason answered, "Godric called my cell earlier and said that since the bar was closed tonight, we could come down and see ya! We even brought pizza!" He held up two pizza boxes with a grin like he was giving me a check for a million dollars. It was impossible not to smile.

We pushed a couple of tables together so that we could all sit at one table together, and Eric even grabbed us some drinks from behind the bar. Godric sat in a chair next to me and placed his hand on my thigh, but Eric stood behind me, kissed the top of my head, and told me he'd be in the office going over some paperwork with Pam. It made me sad to see that even though Godric would hang out with my friends, Eric just wasn't ready for that. All I could do was hope and pray that someday he would be.

Once we'd all gotten a slice of pizza and a drink, Tara and Lafayette insisted that I tell them the full story about why Godric wasn't really dead, and what had brought us back together in Dallas. I more or less gave them the watered down version. I didn't want them to have any information that would possibly get them hurt later on.

Once I had finished filling them in, Tara said, "So, let me get this straight. You and Bill broke up because he lied to you about why he moved here in the first place. And so now, for your protection, you have to live at Eric's house, and you're pretty much dating both Eric **and** Godric?"

"Yeah, that pretty much sums it up."

Lafayette laughed and said, "Mmm, mmm, mmm, Sookie. Who would've ever guessed that underneath that sweet girl lay a sex kitten just waiting to get stretch out her claws! I can't imagine what it takes to keep two vampires satisfied, but whatever it is, you've got it!" We all laughed, including Godric. Well, not Jason though. I think if we had been talking about anyone other than his little sister, he would've reacted differently.

At around 2am things had started to wind down, so everyone cleaned up and we said our goodnights. I thanked my friends once again for coming, and gave Jason a tight hug, telling him that I'd call him sometime in the next couple days.

Godric, Jessica, and I went to join Pam and Eric in the office. They were just finishing up a few things, and said they wouldn't be long. Godric sat at one end of the couch, and I lay down and put my head in his lap. I must've fallen asleep, because when I woke up, I was once again in my bed at Eric's house, cuddled up to my two vampires. Knowing there was no place else in the world I'd rather be, I allowed myself to drift back to sleep in their arms.

**A/N WARNING! WARNING! The next chapter will bring about the return of Bill, and possibly the return of the arsonist....mwahahahaha**


	17. Chapter 17

As the days went on, I continued to become more and more comfortable with the turn my life had taken. I still hadn't decided what to do with the land where Gran's house was, but, Eric had helped me arrange for the charred remnants of the old house to be pulled down and carted away. I'd met with my insurance agent, and we'd gone over all the paperwork, and signed about a million forms, and he told me I would be receiving a check fairly soon.

Eric went to Fangtasia most nights, but he tried to get away and spend time with me as often as he could. We had an unwritten rule that one night a week the three of us would all spend time together. One night it was just Eric and I, and then another was just Godric and I. The other four days were open to just about anything. Sometimes I would go to the bar and hang out in the office. Sometimes I would sit in the front with Pam and Jessica. Pam was slowly becoming more of a friend that I ever would've imagined her to be. Sometimes, Jason, Tara and Lafayette would come to visit, and Hoyt tried to come as often as he could to see Jessica. I'd only been back to Merlotte's a couple of times. Godric and Eric spoke to Sam, and the three of them decided that until we found out who'd burnt down my house, it wasn't safe for me to be without a guardian, so, I would be taking a leave of absence from work until then. I never thought I'd see Sam working alongside vampires, but, in keeping me safe, they'd found a common goal.

We were almost always working on expanding what we were able to do with the bond. I had learned how to direct my thoughts to each of them separately, rather than having both of them just hear everything. Also, because I'd already learned how to block out human thoughts, I was able to more or less turn down the volume on things they were sending me. It wouldn't go completely away, but it was almost like background noise. I learned that I could hear them and speak to them with up to five miles between us, which Godric said was very impressive. Once I'd established that there were two different tenors to the emotions I could feel, it became easy to differentiate which one of them was feeling what, as well. We'd never been able to get far enough apart where we couldn't feel each other, although, it was stronger if we were closer.

Because we'd continued to exchange blood in small amounts (strictly for pleasure), I continued to have extra strength, and Eric had begun teaching me to fight, and it was something we were both enjoying quite a bit.

Normally, Godric would find something for us to do on Friday and Saturday nights in order to avoid the bar when it was at its busiest. He said it would be much harder to protect me in that kind of environment. But, we'd decided to make an exception. It was a Saturday evening, and Tara and Lafayette both had the night off, so, they came to the bar so we could hang out. We'd been sitting at a large booth, and it was quite a nice change, because both Godric **and** Eric were with us. Normally, whenever my friends would come, Eric would spend the majority of his time in his office. I wasn't exactly sure why, but, I figured it really didn't matter in the long run.

I'd had a few drinks and was starting to feel my inhibitions lower, so, I grabbed Tara and Lafayette and we joined the throng of people already on the dance floor. Lafayette might not be into sleeping with women, but he sure knew how to dance with them! Tara was in front of me, and Lafayette was behind me, and we were having a fabulous time. I laughed out loud and rolled my eyes when I heard Eric's inner voice say, "_Lover, you look like a delicious Oreo just waiting to be licked_." As we continued to dance, I felt the beginnings of desire start to flow through the bond, and it was coming from both Eric and Godric. But, suddenly, Eric's emotions took a dramatic turn from desire to anger. I didn't understand. Had I done something wrong?

I stopped dancing and looked at Eric, but, he wasn't watching me anymore. He was watching someone walk through the bar towards him. When I followed his eyes and saw who it was, my mood changed as well. It was Bill. That must mean he's done with his little 'project' for the Queen, and wants to know if Eric will allow him to return to the area. I wasn't really looking forward to having him be around again, but, I knew that it would be easier for Jessica, because she could say in Bon Temps again, and be able to see Hoyt more often.

I saw Eric and Godric rise, and they went towards the office, with Bill following them. "_Sookie, we will be in the back if you should need us for anything. Pam is keeping an eye on you, alright_?" I heard Godric say in my head.

"_No problem, honey_," I replied and continued dancing.

After a few more minutes, we went back to our normal booth to catch our breath and have another drink. I was starting to feel a little tipsy, so I ordered a bottle of water. After about ten minutes, I felt pure rage coming from Eric, and it worried me. What could Bill be saying, or doing, that would make him so mad.

"_What's going on? Why is Eric so mad?_" I asked both of them.

It was Godric who answered. "_It seems that regardless of whether or not we want Mr. Compton's presence in the area, he is here to stay. He has a decree signed by the Queen stating that he needs to be here for the present. Eric is obviously not pleased_."

"_No shit, I could've figured __**that**__ part out on my own_."

"_Yes, well, Compton has decided since Eric cannot order him to leave, it gives him free reign to insult Eric. He is currently taunting him with lewd suggestions about the first time he had sex with you_." And **that's** where I drew the line. I had no tolerance left for Bill anymore.

"_When I knock on the door, tell me to enter, and then don't say another word, alright lover?_" I directed **this** thought to Eric. Hoping he'd realize I had something up my sleeve.

I made my way to the office, and knocked on the door. A moment later, I heard Eric very clearly say, "Enter," and I smiled, excited about what I was about to do. I opened the door, and strode into the office like I owned the place. Eric was sitting behind his desk, and Godric was standing next to him. Bill was seated in a guest chair on the other side of the desk, looking smug. I walked to Godric and put my hands around his neck and kissed him hungrily for a moment, then broke away. I put my knees on the arms of Eric's chair, and crawled so I was straddling his lap. I kissed him as well, grinding my pelvis into his, and moaning audibly. He put his arms around my waist, and allowed his palms to squeeze my butt. I ended the kiss after a few more minutes.

"Sorry, Eric, I just couldn't stay away any longer. I _need_ you," I said, allowing my voice to sound as seductive as I was capable of. Then, I turned and looked at Bill. "Oh, I'm sorry, Bill, I didn't realize you were still here." Without further ado, Bill stood, and left the office. "Well, that takes care of that, I guess," I said, smiling at both Godric and Eric. They both laughed, and when we got back home, Eric made sure to prove to me just how much **he** appreciated it, as well.

The following Monday, we'd decided to make it our "family night," since the bar was closed. Eric said he had a couple of phone calls to make, so while he did that, Godric and I went to the store so I could get some ice cream. While we were on our way back to the house, my cell phone rang, and I saw that it was Sam.

"Hey, Sam, how's it goin?"

"I'm doing well, Sookie. What about you?"

"Oh, pretty good. So what's up?"

"Well, I was wondering when you wanted to come in and pick up your last paycheck and sign a letter of resignation for my files."

"What are you talking about? Who said I was quitting?"

"Well, Eric called and left a message on the bar's voicemail last night."

I felt my blood begin to boil.

"Oh, he did, did he? Well that's news to me. Let me get back to you on that, okay Sam?"

I snapped my phone shut, and glared out the window of the car, absolutely furious. Godric smartly remained quiet. He knew more than to talk to me right now, because it would only irritate me further.

The moment we pulled into the garage, I went storming into the house to find Eric. He was waiting for me, knowing I was upset about something.

"Sookie, what has happened?" He asked.

"Eric, I cannot believe you! Of all the high-handed, rude things to do! Why did you call Sam and tell him I was quitting?"

"Well, with Bill being back, and us still not knowing who set your house on fire, I didn't want you anywhere near that area. However, I also know that you care about that bar because the shifter is your friend, and that you would not like to leave him hanging, so to speak. So, I told him you would be away from the job indefinitely." Okay, so he had a good enough reason, but still.

"Eric, I really don't care **how** good of a reason you had. You should've talked to me about it first. You can't go making decisions about my life without even discussing them with me. I refuse to live that way."

"Sookie, let me make this perfectly clear. We," he pointed back and forth between Godric and himself, "have been tasked with keeping you safe. I **will** do whatever it takes to make sure that happens." Tasked, I **hated** that word with a passion.

"Eric, I know that had good intentions when you called Sam. And it's not that I don't appreciate everything you do for me, because I do. But, you can't just go telling my boss I'm quitting, and not talk to me about it first! And then, to make matters worse, you didn't even tell me you'd done it! So I was taken completely off guard when Sam called me about it today."

"I **will** admit that I should have informed you of my decision, but I did the right thing. Do you not believe that I'm only trying to do what is best for you?"

"I know that you're doing what you **think** is best for me. But, news flash Eric, you are **not** always right. You do **not** always know what is best."

"_Sookie, you need to calm down and talk to him about this rationally. You will not get anywhere with Eric by arguing,_" I heard Godric's voice in my head, and I turned to him.

"Stop that, right now! I will **not** calm down. This is **my** life, and even though I've decided to share it with the both of you, that's all it is, **sharing**. Neither of you own me, and neither of you have the right to make decisions for me. If you think that something should be done for my protection, you need to talk to me about it, and let me make the choice."

Eric approached me, and brought his hand up to cup my cheek. "Sookie, listen to me…"

I slapped his hand away. "Don't you dare touch me! You can't treat me like I'm your pet, and then expect me to feel all lovey dovey with you, Eric. My emotions don't work that way. Oh, but I forgot, I'm speaking to the man who doesn't **have** emotions."

His face hardened, and I knew I'd gone too far. But, I wasn't about to take it back. Not right now, anyway. He turned to Godric and said, "I'm going to the club. I will take my rest there." He left without even looking at me.

I walked into the kitchen, and pulled out the bottle of gin Godric had picked up for me recently, and poured it and some tonic water into a glass, and gulped it down. I put the ice cream in the I'd bought in the freezer, and went into the bedroom, sat down on the bed, and hugged one of the pillows to my chest. A few moments later, Godric walked in and sat in the arm chair next to the bed, but said nothing. I knew that he was very aware of how I felt. I was angry, but not just with Eric. I was angry with myself as well. I still felt that Eric should've discussed it with me, but, Godric had been right, I shouldn't have yelled at him for it. With Eric, you can't yell, because he immediately puts up the defensive. You have to speak calmly with him. He and I were alike in so many ways. I wondered how Godric put up with the pair of us, sometimes.

After half an hour of this, Godric finally moved to sit next to me on the bed when the tears started to fall. He put his arm around me, and rubbed my back. I knew I'd been wrong. But, I also knew that if I tried to apologize to Eric right now, it wouldn't work. He would need to calm down, and then he would be willing to listen to me. I guess that having to wait to make things right was my punishment for being so stubborn.

I had moved in the bed slightly so that my head was resting on Godric's shoulder, when I felt a strange emotion through the bond that I wasn't quite familiar with. I'd felt something similar before, but, it was almost as if something was missing. It felt incomplete. I sat up straight, and thought long and hard about what it could be. When I finally recognized it, I jumped off the bed and ran to the bathroom. I gagged and choked as everything I'd consumed recently made it way back up my throat.

Godric came to stand next to me, and actually held my hair back for me. "Sookie, what is it? What's wrong?"

"It's Eric," I said between gasps as I tried to calm my stomach.

"He's not in any danger, I would feel it if he were." He looked so confused; I knew I had to tell him exactly what I was feeling.

"No, it's not danger. It's lust. Godric, Eric's having sex with someone else, and I can feel it." Saying the words out loud must have opened the flood gates, because I suddenly was crying uncontrollably. Sob after sob wracked my body. Godric lifted me and carried me to the bed, holding me close to him.

"Sookie, I don't mean to upset you further, but, you **did** more or less give him permission to have other lovers."

"I know. I know. But I never thought that I'd actually **feel** it when he was with someone else. It's killing me, Godric." The strong feelings I was receiving from Eric actually caused me to pull myself out of Godric's arms, and curl into the fetal position. It was literally causing me physical pain. I'd never felt something this painful before.

Godric left the room, and came back a moment later with a bottle of water, and a damp, cool wash cloth, which he placed on my forehead. He asked if I would like to take a hot bath, and I nodded.

He went into the bathroom, and began filling the tub, adding some scented bubble bath. Another huge wave of lust hit me, and it felt like running full force, head first, into a brick wall. I knew I wouldn't be able to handle much more of this. So, I did the only thing I could think of. I grabbed the keys to the civic, ran to the garage, and pulled away from the house at quickly as I could. I knew Godric was following me, but I couldn't stop.

"_Sookie, this is insanity. What are you doing? You are in no condition to drive._"

"_I know. I'm sorry. I just can't take this anymore. I need to put more distance between us so the feelings fade. Please, just let me go. Give me a little time to try and compose myself. Please, Godric._"

He didn't answer, but I felt my connection with him pull back, and I knew that he was still following me, but that he had slowed down considerably. I wasn't thinking rationally, and I knew it. The only thing I could think of was putting as many miles between Eric and I as I could, weakening our connection.

The further I got from Shreveport, the pain began to subside, but my tears didn't slow at all. I found myself turning down the familiar roads of Bon Temps. Instead of going to where my house used to be, though, I went to the cemetery. I got out of the car, and went to sit on the ground near Gran's headstone.

Everything had gone so horribly wrong. I had been so happy with Godric and Eric. They had become more than my lovers. They had become my best friends. I knew that, looking forward, I could not imagine being happy in life without the two of them at my side. But, then I'd gone and messed it all up. I'd jumped down Eric's throat and blown something well out of proportion. And now, I was paying the consequences for it. I couldn't blame Eric for what I was feeling, it was my own fault.

I was still able to feel Godric, but couldn't hear him speaking to me, so I knew he was more than 5 miles away. I must have been so focused on my own pain, that I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings. I should have been making sure to scan the area every couple of minutes to make sure I was still alone. I didn't hear footsteps behind me as someone approached, and I only barely registered the blank spot, telling me there was a vampire near. I assumed it was probably just Bill or Jessica. Godric must have called them and told them where I was.

Isn't making assumptions just the worse thing you can do? I hadn't done anything to protect myself, and therefore was completely shocked and scared, when I felt a pair of arms grip me, pull me to my feet, and cover my mouth, keeping me from screaming. Before I could begin to call out to Godric in my mind, I felt a sharp sting, and knew I'd been injected with something. Very quickly, the whole world went black.

**A/N Just so you know, this chapter was VERY difficult for me to write. I struggled really hard with the decision to have Eric be unfaithful. I didn't want it to happen, but, sometimes a story needs what a story needs. Let me know your thoughts!!**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N I was really hoping to avoid changing POV's, but, so many people wondered what the hell was going through Eric's head in the last chapter that it had to be done. I must admit, I was a little hurt by how judgemental some of you were. Just remember, ESPECIALLY in my stories....things are not always as they seem. Just because Sookie THOUGHT Eric was having sex with someone, didn't make it the truth.**

_**EPOV**_

As I drove towards Fangtasia, I was glad it was so late, and there weren't many people on the road. I didn't feel being careful, and I didn't feel like driving slow.

I was furious. How could she say that I have no emotions? Hadn't I shown her through my deeds, and through our bond, how much I care for her? How could she doubt it? And telling me not to touch her? Didn't she realize that's what I longed to do every moment I was awake. I could never get enough of her, and now, she'd had enough of me.

Fine, if that's what she wants, then she shall have it. I made a promise to Godric weeks ago that we would always give her everything she asked for, spoil her, and treat her like a princess. If she wanted me to not touch her, that's what she would get.

When I was about a mile from the club, it occurred to me that I had not fed since rising. I was old enough that I didn't need much blood, and I'd held off, knowing that I would most likely get a chance to drink from Sookie. Tasting her blood while making love to her was the closest to heaven I could ever imagine getting. She is so beautiful, and doesn't understand how utterly charming she is. I felt myself harden simply thinking of her, naked and moaning my name.

No, I can't think that way. She doesn't want me. She doesn't want my touch. If that's how she wants to play, fine. There are plenty of other women in this world who would do almost anything to have me touch them.

Even though the club is closed on Mondays, several of the pathetic fangbangers would hang around the parking lot, hoping that one of the vampires would come for them. Well, tonight would be their lucky night. I parked my Corvette, and was not surprised to see several scantily clad females coming toward me. All but one were blondes. I grabbed the hand of the one brunette and pulled her along with me. The last thing I needed was someone who reminded me of _her_.

I took her into my office, pulled my chair out from behind my desk, and guided her until we both stood in front of it. I tilted her head, bearing her neck, and pushed her hair off her shoulders. Without any warning, I leaned over, and felt my fangs puncture her flesh. She wasn't unattractive, and she even smelt somewhat nice, but I received no pleasure in feeding from her. However, as is most often the case when feeding, my body easily moved from blood lust, to plain lust.

I ran my tongue unceremoniously over the wound to close it, and sat in the chair. I leaned back, reached down to open my pants and pull myself out, and pushed her to her knees in front of me. She took the hint, and took me into her mouth. I closed my eyes, willing myself to let go and just enjoy the sensations. She wasn't at all unskilled, and I'll admit, she had a talented tongue.

As I allowed myself to relax and feel pleasure, images of Sookie filled my mind. Sookie, sleeping in my arms. Sookie, naked, skin flushed, moaning in ecstasy as we made love. Sookie, telling me she loves me. The brunette moaned a little, and the moment I heard her voice, I became disgusted with myself. However, I couldn't bring myself to be cruel to this woman, it was not her fault. I gently pulled her off of me, refastened my pants, and glamoured her to forget our encounter all together. I made her think she'd been here to inquire about a job, but left when I told her we had a full staff, and sent her on her way.

I went back into my office trying to decide what the best course of action would be to make this right with Sookie. I flipped on my laptop, and the first thing that came across the screen was a picture that I'd recently made my desktop background. I wasn't sure who the photographer was, it had simply been emailed to me, although I suspected Pam had something to do with it. It was a photo of Sookie and I in the parking lot of Fangtasia. She was leaning with her back against the corvette, and I was holding her face in my hands, preparing to kiss her. The look on her face was of pure love. If I ever doubted how she felt about me, I simply had to look at that photo, and was instantly reminded.

And, **that** was it. That was the moment that I knew that everything in my world had changed. **That** was the moment I knew, without any doubt, that I was in love with Sookie. I felt a charge of both excitement and lust run through me at the revelation. Now that I knew, I had to make sure she knew as well.

I left the club and jumped into my car, wanting to get to her as soon as I could. I stopped at an all-night florist (owned by one of the vampires in my area) and bought a beautiful bouquet to give her. As I was making my way back to the house, I started to realize that I was feeling something odd coming through the bond. I'd felt it earlier, but, was so overwhelmed by my own emotions, I hadn't taken the time to analyze what it could be.

It hit me like a ton of bricks. It was sorrow. Fuck! Sookie must've felt my lust and happiness. I groaned inwardly, desperately hoping that she hadn't taken it the wrong way, but knowing she probably had. After the way I'd treated her earlier, it would be the obvious reaction.

The closer I got to the house, the less I felt her, which meant she wasn't home, and I started to worry. I dialed her cell phone, but got no answer. Finally, I was able to get Godric on his.

"Godric, where is Sookie? She's not answering her phone, and I know she's not at the house."

"She took off on her own towards Bon Temp."

"WHAT?!? How could you allow that? It isn't safe."

"I couldn't bring myself to deny her. She was extremely upset. Sick to her stomach in fact."

I could hear the accusatory tone in his voice, and knew this was my fault.

"Why was she so upset?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer.

"She said she could feel that you were having sex with someone else, and she just couldn't take it. It was causing her actual physical pain. She wanted to put as much space between you as possible so the feelings would lessen."

I growled, angry at myself for hurting her. "I didn't fuck anyone else. I thought about it, and I even fed from a fangbanger, but, almost as soon as I felt her touch me, I thought of Sookie, and knew I couldn't do it."

"What precisely stopped you?" I almost laughed, knowing he already knew but asked anyway.

"I couldn't do it. I didn't want to touch another. I knew I had to see Sookie and tell her that I love her."

"Aww, yes, I was wondering when you were going to figure that out." This time, we both laughed.

I heard a change in the background noise around him, and figured he was no longer flying. "She is in the cemetery next to her property. I do not dare go to her. I won't even allow myself to get close enough to her for her to hear my thoughts. I know that she just wants to be alone right now, and if we don't give her at least a little space, she'll flee again."

"Yes, I do believe that is what's best. I will call Bill and have him send Jessica to her. They have become such close friends, I'm sure she would not run from Jessica."

I called Compton, and told him to send Jessica to the cemetery to find Sookie, that she was upset, but said nothing else. I had arranged to meet Godric in the parking lot of a gas station about 6 miles from where Sookie was. When I arrived, I got out of my car to stand next to him, and we waited for Bill or Jessica to call us back. However, we wouldn't have long to wait.

I knew that Godric felt the same things I did: danger, fear, and pain. Something was desperately wrong with Sookie. Without a backward glance, we both took to the air, quickly reaching the cemetery, but finding only Bill and Jessica.

"She's gone, someone took her!" Jessica screamed in horror.

"Calm down, Jessica. Tell us exactly what you saw," I was actually surprised by the tenderness with which Bill spoke to her.

"I was just getting to the edge of the cemetery, and I saw a female vampire pick her up, and stab her neck with some sort of syringe. Sookie passed out almost immediately, and the vampire pushed Sookie into the trunk of a car and sped off."

Godric and I looked at each other for a moment, and I knew that we both would kill whoever had taken our precious love.

"Did you recognize this vampire, Jessica?" Godric asked, sounding much calmer than I knew him to be.

"No, but I could probably describe her." She was so upset that she was shaking.

"There's no need," Compton said. "I'd know that scent anywhere. It's Lorena."


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N Since Eric had his own chapter, Godric just wouldn't leave me alone til he got one of his own as well. Special thanks to JenniferAnn B and vikinglass25 who listen to all my crazy ideas, and help me sort them into good and bad. Enjoy!!**

**GPOV**

When I heard Compton say that his maker had been the one to take my Sookie, I had to fight to contain the beast from bursting forth and ripping him to shreds. He should never have let Lorena get within 100 miles of her. It makes me wonder what the Magister had in mind when he assigned this pathetic excuse for a vampire to protect her. It's obvious he's incompetent. There had to have been an ulterior motive.

However, I cannot afford to waste time thinking about that right now. I looked at him with obvious disgust. "Do you have any idea as to where or why she would've taken Sookie?"

"Knowing her, I assume her motivation is her hurt pride. Lorena has always thought she deserves to get exactly what she wants, exactly when she wants it. I should've seen this coming. When I chose Sookie over Lorena, it was like putting a huge bulls eye on her chest."

My fingers twitched with the urge to rip his throat out. I could tell that Eric felt the same. Once we had Sookie back safely, Compton would be dealt with.

"Jessica, did you happen to notice anything specific about the car? The color, or the make and model?" Eric asked, trying to get things moving.

"It was a bigger vehicle, like a Cadillac maybe. I don't know exactly what color it is, but, it was dark. Dark green or dark blue maybe. It had four doors, and a Mississippi license plate."

Eric walked to her side, and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Good girl. Now, don't feel guilty about this. This wasn't your fault, and if you had tried to stop her, you most likely would've been killed. I promise you, we WILL find Sookie. You will see your friend again." I was surprised at the tenderness with which Eric addressed her. It was obvious to me that Sookie already made a huge impact on his behavior.

"Well, um, I should probably tell you then that this isn't the first time I've come across her scent out here." Jessica said, looking at the ground.

Eric put his hand under her chin and tilted it so that she was looking him in the face. "When else, Jessica? It's very important."

"It was here the night Sookie's house burned down."

Eric and I both growled deeply. "I had suspected she was behind that. There were sightings of her in the area shortly before and after. If it was her, I can guarantee you that Sophie Ann is involved in all of this somehow as well," Eric added.

Eric pulled out his cell phone, and called Pam with instructions that if Lorena was spotted, she was to be held. The dawn was coming soon, and he'd hoped that meant that Lorena would have to go to ground and stay in the area. Somehow, I doubted that would be the case.

"Compton," Eric said, turning his attention to Bill, "Godric and I will need to stay at your place for the day. I want to begin searching the moment the sun rises."

The four of us made our way back to Compton's home, and I was extremely displeased to have to take my rest there. I will never understand what Sookie saw in this man that made her think she loved him. But, then again, Sookie has the capacity to look past every bad thing about someone and find the good in them. Just thinking of her makes my body ache to hold her close. I could tell that Eric was feeling the same way. She'd only been gone for a few hours, and it already felt like an eternity.

Eric and I each rose the moment the sun hit the horizon the next evening. And, at that precise moment was when we knew that Sookie had been moved during the day. She felt even further away than before. Knowing that Bill and Jessica were within hearing distance, we kept our conversations in our own heads.

"_She is still unconscious. I wonder what drug they have been giving her._" Eric wondered.

"_I'm not sure, but either it is extremely potent, or they have been redosing her over and over, because I cannot think of a single drug that would keep her out for this long. They must know, or at least suspect, how our bond works, and that it would be easier for us to track her if she were awake_."

"_Well, I refuse to waste time. We must find her. Where do we begin_?"

I considered that for a moment. I knew that we were going to need to use every possible advantage we could in order to get her back. As I pulled my cell phone out and began to dial, I told Eric, "Have Pam meet us at home as soon as possible." He raised an eyebrow in question, but nodded, and did as I said.

I hit the send button on my cell phone, and waited. The call was answered after the fourth ring. "It's Godric. Tell the Prince it is time. Give us 20 minutes." I hung up, and whilst ignoring the curious glare I was getting from Eric, took to the sky.

15 minutes later, Eric, Pam and I were standing in the living room of the home we share with Sookie. The entire house was filled with her scent. It strengthened my resolve to do whatever was necessary. We heard a knock at the door, and I went to let in our guest, who followed me back into the living room again. The moment he stepped into the room, I saw Eric and Pam's eye widen, and their nostrils flare. I turned to our guest and said simply, "I think you'd better explain."

He turned his attention to the two vampires who were staring at him. "I know that you are aware of what I am. My name is Niall, and I am the only surviving member of the Fae who still has royal blood. Eric, I know that you had suspicions that Sookie was part Fae, and you were correct. She is my great-granddaughter. Besides myself, the only other living creatures who know of this are Godric, and your Magister. This is why Sookie's protection has been so important to him." At this new revelation, Eric turned an accusatory look in my direction. He thought I was keeping secrets.

"Before you judge your maker, Vampire, know this, he wouldn't have been able to tell you, even if he'd wanted to. I have very powerful magic's at my disposal, and I bound the knowledge in him, so he could not share it with another. Even now, as I stand here before you, he would be unable to tell you all of this himself." He paused for a moment to let that information sink in, and then turned to me. "Now, tell me, what has happened? Why have you called upon me now?"

"You were aware that once I was called back to Texas, a vampire named Bill Compton was assigned to watch over Sookie." He nodded. "Sookie found out that he was only with her because of orders, even though he had convinced her he was in love with her. When she found out, needless to say, she was not pleased. Eric is Sheriff of this area, where Bill had been residing, so Sookie was placed in his protection. As I am his maker, and Sookie and I had been reunited, the Magister ordered the both of us to form a blood bond with her, both acting as her guardians." Niall's eyebrows rose at this piece of news.

"Ahh, I see. And have you both come to love her?" Niall asked.

"Yes, we have," Eric said with great conviction, although I saw Pam roll her eyes.

"And now?" Niall turned his attention back to me.

"Now, in anger, Bill's maker has kidnapped Sookie, and has been keeping her drugged so we cannot track her. We believe she is in league with Sophie Ann. Sophie Ann has expressed a wish to turn Sookie, but we have refused, multiple times."

"So, you would like my assistance in finding her, and rescuing her, correct?" I nodded.

"You do understand that you will be temporarily weakened whilst I perform the spell?" Again, I nodded.

"That is why I have asked that Pam be present."

"Then let us proceed." He removed a small, round, black stone from a small bag he held, along with a dagger.

Turning to Eric and Pam, he began his explanation of what was to come. "Because you are unable to locate her with your current bond, you must go to another plane to find her. Because she is of my blood, and has had your blood," he said, indicating Eric and I, "we can send your spirit to meet hers there. She will drink your blood while you are there. Although it is not your actual physical blood, it will contain your essence, therefore strengthening the bond, and allowing her to gain physical strength as well."

He turned his focus to me. "Have her powers strengthened since you bonded with her?"

"Yes. Eric and I can feel her at all times, stronger if she is close. And we can communicate telepathically if we are within 5 miles of each other."

"Ahh, yes, she has grown stronger because of your blood. The magic I use will strengthen her even more, as will your blood. I am unsure of what they will be, but she will most likely develop new powers almost instantaneously from this exchange."

He paused in thought for a moment, and then turned to Pam. "When the spell has been performed, their spirits will leave their bodies behind, leaving them extremely weak and vulnerable. If someone were to attack during the spell, they would be unable to defend themselves, and most likely be killed. You are here to protect their bodies, while there spirits are gone."

He beckoned for Eric and I to move forward, and the three of us stood in a circle around the stone. He began an incantation in a strange language, and slowly a blue flame appeared on the surface of the stone. He raised his forearm over the stone, and cut his wrist with the dagger, allowing the blood drops to land in the flame. He repeated the steps on my arm, and then Eric's, until blood from each of us had been dropped onto the stone. After a few more words were said, I felt my body drop, and I closed my eyes.

When I opened them a moment later, I was standing next to Eric in a completely white space, and across from us with her back to us, was Sookie.

"Sookie!" Eric cried out.

She turned to face us, and a huge smile swept over her face. "Oh, thank God. Please tell me you're here to save me?"

I told her, "Yes, in a way we are. We are not actually here, Sookie. You are still wherever you are being held, and Eric and I are at home."

"How is this possible, then?"

"Sookie, I will explain everything to you once we are safely together again. But for now, we have a task to complete so that we may find you. You have left your body, and your spirit is meeting ours on another plane of existence. You must drink from us now. It will allow the essence, the power, of our blood to entire into yours, and will give you strength, and allow us to find you."

"Um, okay. I don't understand this at all, but, I trust you."

I bit into my wrist, and offered it to her. As she drank, I felt an odd warming sensation spread throughout my body, beginning at the point where he mouth was. I could feel the power and the energy in the space around us grow. Once my wound healed, I placed my hands on her face, and kissed her deeply. "We will find you, my love. They cannot have you." She nodded, and I stepped back so Eric could approach her.

Just as he was preparing to bite his wrist, Sookie blurted out, "Eric, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you like I did. I still stand by what I said, but, it wasn't right of me to just attack you like that. I should've sat down and talked to you about it."

He put his forehead to hers. "It's alright. I know. Sookie, I know that you thought I'd had sex with someone else at the club that night. I didn't."

She nodded her head. "I know. I can't tell you how I know, but, I can just tell you that, somewhere deep inside, I knew you hadn't done it."

He bit into his wrist and she took it, swallowing mouthfuls of his blood. Once again, when the wound closed, he rested his forehead on hers.

"Be strong, and safe, dear one. Do not let anyone know about our bond, or the extra strength and power you may have, now. We will be there for you as soon as we can." She nodded, and was gone.

I blinked twice, and found myself standing back in the living room at our home. Eric and I took a minute to regain our composure, and then looked at one another, knowing we were feeling the same thing. I could feel Sookie so strongly; it was as if she was in the same room. I was taken aback by what happened next.

"_Godric? Eric?_" It was Sookie's voice.

"_We can hear you my darling. We are on our way. Where are you?_"

"_I'm being held at the Queen's compound in New Orleans. Lorena's here._"

"_We're on our way._"

Without uttering a single word to Niall or Pam, Eric and I exited the house, and took the skies, flying with all haste to New Orleans.


	20. Chapter 20

What a very odd dream. One moment, I was standing on the bank of my lake in Hawaii, wondering where Godric and Eric were, and why they weren't with me. They'd ALWAYS been at the lake with me. I heard Eric say my name, and when I turned, they were both there. Only, we weren't in Hawaii any longer. We were in a space completely devoid of anything. It was just white.

"Oh, thank God." I told them. "Please tell me you're here to save me?"

Godric explained how we weren't really where we were, which made perfect sense to me, because I knew I was dreaming. He told me that if I drank from him and Eric here in my dream, that I would gain their power and it would help them find me. It didn't make a lot of sense, but, since it was just a dream, I figured what the hell, try it!

After drinking from Godric, Eric approached me, and we apologized to each other for our fight. When he said he'd never had sex with someone else that night, of course I believed him. This was dream Eric, and he would never cheat. Not like the real Eric, anyway. I drank from Eric as well, and they said they would find me soon, and not to tell anyone what had happened. No problem.

I nodded, showing them I could keep my dream a secret, but then I felt a strange pulling feeling, and woke up to find myself alone in a small room containing only a bed, with a small bathroom attached. There was a window in one of the walls, and as I looked out, I recognized the courtyard where I'd first met Sophie Ann.

For a moment, I thought maybe I was dreaming again, because I could feel both of my Vampires so strongly. I'd never felt this much coming from them, even when we were all lying in bed together. I thought back to my dream, and decided to try to reach out to them.

"_Godric? Eric?_" I asked with my inner voice.

"_We can hear you my darling._" It was Godric's voice. They could really hear me. Son of a mother, the dream was real! "_We are on our way. Where are you_?"

"_I'm being held at the Queen's compound in New Orleans. Lorena's here._"

"_We're on our way_." Eric's voice added. Oh, thank goodness. They were coming for me. I would be safe.

I went in to use the bathroom, and splashed some water on my face. There wasn't a mirror, and I figured it was probably because they wouldn't want me breaking the glass to use it as a weapon.

I went back into the bedroom, and sat down on the bed, and started to try to remember how I'd gotten here. I remember being in the cemetery. I remember someone grabbing me from behind and injecting me with some sort of drug. I remember waking up once after that, and being locked in a car trunk. Not long after I'd woken up, I felt the car stop, and the trunk opened to reveal Lorena staring down at me. She smiled, showing full fang, but didn't say a word, just simply stuck a syringe in my arm and soon I was sleeping again. I didn't remember anything after that.

Just then, the only locked door in the room, which I'd assumed was the exit, opened, revealing the blonde Vampire who'd been at Sophie Ann's side last time I was here. His eyes widened when he saw me sitting up.

"Aww, you finally decided to wake, I see," he smiled as he spoke, and it scared me to death.

"Where am I and why am I here?" Best not to let on that I know where I'm at.

"You are a guest of the Queen of Louisiana."

"Guest? Since when do guests get kidnapped and locked up? I must have read a different etiquette book than Sophie Ann did." The smile left his face when he heard my words.

"A word to the wise, little girl, you will do well not to upset me. I will make sure that you remain unharmed, unless you decide to insult my Queen once again. That will not be tolerated." His fangs ran part way out, and I knew he was serious. But, after a moment, his odd smile returned. "Well, enough with the pleasantries. You must be famished. I will bring you something to eat. Tell me, would you prefer milk or juice?"

I sat there staring at him, dumbfounded. I must have mumbled some sort of answer, because he nodded and left. A few minutes later, he entered the room again, carrying a paper plate with a sandwich and an apple, and a paper cup filled with milk. He set all of it down on the windowsill, and left again. I continued to stare, amazed at what had just happened. But, my stomach began to growl, so, I grabbed the plate and practically inhaled the sandwich and gulped down the milk. I did, however, take my time with the apple, savoring it. Who knew when the next time I'd get to eat was. I couldn't rely on Vampire hospitality, if such a thing even existed.

Just as I was chewing the last bite of apple, the door opened again, and this time, Lorena and Sophie Ann followed the blonde vampire in. Oh goodie, two of my most favorite vampires.

"Was the food adequate?" asked Sophie Ann. I wondered what would happen if I said no, but, decided it wasn't worth the risk.

"It was fine, thank you."

"Good. I'm sure that you noticed that there is a shower available, and you are more than welcome to clean yourself up should you desire to do so. There are toiletries in the shower, and here," she indicated a bundle that the blonde vampire was holding, "is a change of clothes. I hope you don't mind just a simple t-shirt and a pair of jeans."

I was flabbergasted. "That sounds just fine, Your Majesty. Thank you." I wasn't sure if I should appear to be grateful or not.

"Just because it was not your own choice to come here, doesn't mean you will be mistreated while you are here. I'm hoping it will be your choice to remain here, once things with Godric and Eric are settled."

Well, it seemed we were finally getting down to business. "I'm sorry Your Majesty, but I don't think that I understand what you mean." I wanted to scream at her to let me go, and rip her hair out, but, Gran hadn't raised me to be anything if not polite.

"Oh, I should think it would be obvious. I wish for you to work for me. Eventually, I will turn you, and you will be my employee for the rest of your existence." She spoke as if it was an every day thing to enslave someone until the end of time. "I politely asked Godric and Eric to let me have you, but they refused. Now, they will just have to pay the price for making me wait." She smiled brightly, and it made me sick to the pit of my stomach.

"And, if you don't mind me asking, what exactly **is** the price they'll pay?"

"Oh, final death of course. However, that will come in time. To begin, I will have them chained with silver, and allow Lorena to slowly torture them." She looked to Lorena and grinned, laying her hand to rest on Lorena's shoulder. "Godric's little scolding in Dallas wounded her pride, and I'd like nothing more than to allow her to mend it by causing him tremendous amounts of physical pain before he dies."

Hearing her talk about torturing Godric brought out a level of anger I didn't know I was capable of. It felt like an electrical charge flowing through my body, and I felt my fingers twitch with the urge to rip the head from her shoulders. Wait a minute; this was** not** normal behavior for me. Could this be the strength that Godric told me I would gain from drinking their blood in the shared dream? I hadn't even felt this powerful when I'd taken actual blood from them. But, right at this very moment, I felt like I could rip them all to shreds if I wanted to. It was only upon hearing Godric's voice in my head that I began to calm myself.

"_Sookie, are you alright? You are sending us an overwhelming amount of anger and hatred_."

"_I'm fine. I'm just listening to Sophie Ann describe how she plans to enslave me forever, and allow Lorena to torture the two of you for days and then kill you._"

"_Aww, so nothing out of the ordinary, then_," came Eric's voice. It seemed like he was trying to keep from laughing.

"_I personally do not see how any of this is funny, Eric. I don't want you to be tortured and killed. I don't want Sophie Ann to turn me and use me for forever_!"

"_Do not worry, little one. None of that is actually going to happen. She is simply trying to prey upon your love for us. She thinks that by threatening us, she will get you to voluntarily give yourself to her._"

I was trying to keep my face completely passive while I was speaking with them, because the three Vampires in front of me were watching me very carefully. Apparently, I was succeeding, because they didn't seem to think anything was going.

Just then, the Queen's head snapped up and to the side, as if she'd heard someone in the distance calling her name. "Oh, goodie. They're here! I must admit, that was quicker than I'd guess it would be. Come, let us go out to greet our guests." She sounded almost chipper at the prospect of the coming fight.

I knew exactly who the "guests" she spoke of were. I didn't need to hear her say they were here to know that Godric and Eric had arrived. I felt their nearness with every fiber of my being. The blonde male vampire came and grabbed my arm just above the elbow in his hand, and pulled me along with them. We exited the room, and walked down a long corridor until we came to an elevator. We got in, and Sophie Ann pressed a button, and the elevator slowly began to descend. When it opened, I immediately recognized the same courtyard I'd seen from my window. Only this time, Eric and Godric stood in the center, watching us approach. The moment I saw them, my heart began to pound so hard I thought it would jump right out of my chest. I wanted to run to them, wrap my arms around them and never let them go.

We continued to walk until we were about 25 feet away from them, and then Sophie Ann spoke. "Godric, Eric! What a pleasant surprise. Tell me, what brings you to my home?"

"You have stolen from us, Sophie Ann," Godric said, his voice cold and lethal. "We've come to claim what is rightfully ours." Normally, I would've complained about being referred to as a possession, but, I figured I'd let it slide for now.

"Oh, Godric, I have taken nothing from you."

"Then why is our mate being held by your minion?" Eric asked.

"Oh, Andre is merely assisting Sookie. She has been asleep for so long, and has only just eaten something recently, we would hate for her to collapse." If looks could kill, Andre would be nothing but ash with the way that Eric was glaring at him.

"Enough with the games, Sophie Ann," Godric said in a very authoritative tone. "What exactly is it that you want in exchange for her return."

"Oh, make no mistake, Godric, you won't be getting her back. She is mine now, and will stay that way forever. The only thing open to discussion at this point, is how much damage will be done to her in the process." I felt the anger rising again, this time realizing that it wasn't solely my own. I could feel that Godric and Eric were getting close to a point of no return in their own anger as well.

"That is unacceptable. We will not allow you to keep her here against her will." As Godric spoke, I could feel the same charge of power begin to flow through me.

"Oh, silly Godric, it will not be against her will. Once she has formed a blood bond with Andre, she will choose to stay." The faces of both my Vampires scrunched into a snarl, as Andre bared his fangs and lowered his head to my neck. I was **not** about to let him bite me.

"KEEP. YOUR. FILTHY. FANGS. OFF. ME!!" I yelled as I grabbed my arm loose from his grip, and shoved him with all my might. I was amazed to see him fly through the air away from me, coming to land within a foot of Eric. Everyone looked at me in complete shock. Well, everyone except for Eric that is. He took that moment to grab a sword that he'd had strapped to his back, and with one massive strike, Andre's body went one direction, while his head went the other.

I saw a flash of color, and felt myself being pulled into Godric's arms, until I was standing between him and Eric. Sophie Ann let out a deep, primal scream. "Guards! KILL THEM ALL!" I saw at least 10 Vampires move to come towards us, fangs barred. Well, this just kept getting better and better.


	21. Chapter 21

Godric and Eric each put their closest arm in front of me, blocking the direct path of any of the vampires coming at us. Eric still held his sword, now dripping with Andre's blood. Godric moved his free arm to his back, and removed a similar looking weapon, and they both crouched, at the ready for whatever was coming.

"_Sookie love, would you mind telling me exactly how you just threw a vampire almost 25 feet with a simple shove?_" I heard Godric's voice in my head ask.

"_I have absolutely no clue! I was just so mad, and I could feel the anger coming from both of you, and it was like there was an electric current running through my body. I pushed, and he just flew! Why is Sophie Ann in such a huff? Surely she knew some of her people would die in this fight?_"

"_Andre has always been her favorite child, and her most cherished lover,_" Eric said. "_Obviously, she is slightly distraught at his passing._" Even in the midst of a battle that could leave all of us dead, Eric couldn't resist the urge to crack a joke!

Before anything else could be said, a very large vampire lunged at Godric. Well, maybe the word 'large' isn't quite the perfect way to describe him. Huge would probably be more accurate. He looked like the product of two professional wrestlers morphed into one. He got his arms around Godric and tried to lift him into the air, but Godric was able to swing his sword slightly, cutting the vampire's arm off just above the elbow. As Godric bent to remove himself from the vampires grip, Eric shoved his sword into the vampire chest, and Godric lopped off his head. Apparently, they worked well together.

Each of them repositioned their swords, holding them at the ready once more. As another vampire moved to attack us, I wondered idly why they didn't all just attack at once. Surely a mass attack would make it easier for them to defeat us? I didn't have much time to ponder that however, as a wooden arrow came flying from behind us, hitting the attacking vampire square in the chest, and he crumbled to ash as he collapsed. I turned my head to see Pam rushing to join us, positioning herself beside Eric. She turned slightly and caught my eye, nodded her head and winked at me.

"It does not matter how many of your little minions come to your aid, you will all die," Sophie Ann yelled. It was only then that I noticed that red tear tracks now stained her beautiful face.

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that if I were you, Sophie," came a familiar female voice from behind us. I turned slightly once again, and was shocked to see Isabel, Stan, and about 20 others from the Dallas nest!

"You have no business here, Isabel. I would suggest you leave before you loose more than your new position as sheriff," Sophie Ann added, a look of pure hatred crossing her features.

"Oh, but you see, that's where you're wrong," Stan said menacingly. "This human saved a great many of us during the attack on our nest, and as she is blood bound to Godric, it is well within our rights to assist in protecting her. And let's not forget that the Magister has set an edict that she be protected, no matter the cost."

Sophie Ann was obviously displeased at this turn of events. It was not difficult to see her mentally considering what options she had at this point. Surely, she had to realize that her guards could not defeat all of the vampires gathered here against her. Plus, would she truly want to risk the wrath of the Magister?

"_Is it too early to hope we might get out of this without anyone else getting hurt?_" I asked Godric and Eric.

"_Oh, I guarantee more blood will be spilt before this is over._" Godric did not sound pleased, but answered truthfully all the same. "_It might not come to a full scale war, however, she will not just let Andre's death slide._"

As if she'd been able to read **our** minds, Sophie Ann began to speak. "Fine. Godric, you and the human are free to leave. Isabel, you will remove yourself from my state immediately. Eric, however, will stay and pay the price for killing my personal bodyguard." I heard Eric snarl, and felt his anger growing again.

"**No**. He will not." At the sound of **that** voice, every pair of eyes immediately turned in the direction it came from. Standing on the top of the high wall surrounding the courtyard stood the Magister himself. He crouched slightly and jumped, landing on the ground, and immediately began walking toward the assembled vampires.

"Sophie Ann, you have overstepped your boundaries for the last time. This is no longer your kingdom. You will be replaced as ruler of Louisiana. So, unless you want to die as well, you **will** end this, and end it now." I was shocked that he was actually giving her an option.

"I **will** have vengeance for Andre's death." Sophie Ann seemed to not be thinking coherently. Didn't she realize that, if she continued to pursue this, she would be dead whether she won or not? The only way she'd be spared was if she walked away. But, the more I thought about it, I considered Godric and Eric. If someone had killed Eric, would Godric just be able to walk away? I doubted it.

Sophie Ann took a step towards us, and Godric mirrored her movement. "You will **not** kill my child, Sophie Ann." His voice sounded so rough, almost unrecognizable. The bond we shared flared and snarled. That's when it finally hit me. Eric had spoken before about "the beast" that was always alive inside of Godric, which rarely was let out. I knew instinctively, the beast was ready to play.

Sophie Ann crouched low to the ground and fixed her eyes on Godric. It reminded me of a cat ready to pounce. To my utter amazement, Godric tossed his sword to the ground, and sank into his own crouch, slowly making his way toward Sophie Ann. I felt Eric put his arms around me, and tried to turn me away. "Sookie, you should not see this."

I fought his hold. "Let me go, Eric. Whether I want to or not, I need to see this. I need to know it's over." He gazed into my eyes for a moment, nodded, and allowed me to turn and watch. He did, however, keep his arms wrapped around me, and held me close to his body.

Godric and Sophie Ann slowly circled each other, both still crouched low to the ground, both snarling at the other. It reminded me of a show I'd seen on the Discover channel that showed two male lions battling each other to be the alpha lion. The irony of the situation was not lost on me. This was most definitely a battle for the alpha position.

Sophie Ann had curled her hands into makeshift claws, and once she was within reach of Godric, her arm shot out and she scratched her long fingernails across his face, taking bits of flesh away with her. I felt a stinging burn across my face as if it were me instead of Godric she'd scratched. She smiled at him as she pulled back out of his reach, and resumed circling. I watched in awe as the wounds on Godric's face healed themselves, as he watched for an opening to strike.

This went on for what seemed like hours, but, in all actuality was about 15 minutes. She would strike out at him, and he would reciprocate, each time their wounds would heal before the next strike happened. I was confused as to why the fight was progressing so slowly. Eric understood my confusion, and used his inner voice to explain. "_They are testing each other's weaknesses, looking for an opportunity to strike a fatal blow._" I nodded, indicating I understood.

As I continued to watch the back and forth, I began to notice something odd. If Sophie Ann would go to her right to attack, her left heel would lift off the ground for a split second just before she lunged, and the same with her right heel going the other direction. "_Eric, I can tell what direction she's going to go when her back is to me_."

His gripped on me tightened. "_Are you positive?_"

"_Yes. She lifts the opposite heel a tiny bit before she makes her move._"

Because he was behind me, I was unable to see his face, but, I didn't need to turn to know he was smiling devilishly. "_Godric, we have her. Sookie can tell what direction she is going to strike at. Turn so Sophie's back is to us and Sookie can tell you what side she will go at._" I saw a small smirk cross Godric's face, and his eyes widened in anticipation.

A moment later, Sophie Ann had her back to me, and I watched her feet closely. The moment I saw her left heel twitch, I yelled "_HER RIGHT!_" in my head. At the same moment Sophie Ann moved to strike at Godric, he went the opposite direction, grabbed her shoulder, and plunged his fangs into her neck. As her head snapped up in surprise, he tightened his grip on her shoulder, and pushed against her head with his other hand. I gasped out loud as he used his fangs and strength to rip her almost completely in half. He became drenched in her blood as he pushed her now disintegrating body to the ground. His mouth was open, and blood dripped from his fangs. His eyes were wide and fierce. **This** was the beast. This was the side of himself that Godric had worked so hard for so long to bury deep within himself. And now, after decades of holding back, he had unleashed it, to save me. I was both terrified, and touched.

As Godric's eyes focused on my face, I felt worry flood the bond. He was nervous about whether I could still love him, now that I'd seen what he was capable of. Eric leaned down and whispered, "Go to him," in my ear, and released me from his hold. Without a moment's hesitation, I began walking towards him, never taking my eyes from his. I pushed all the love and adoration I had for him through the bond, letting him know that nothing had, or ever would, change how I felt about him.

When I was halfway between Godric and Eric, I felt fear and rage ripple through me in waves, being sent by both of them. I turned my head just as I heard Eric yell, "**NO!**" at the top of his lungs.

And then suddenly, everything around me slowed down. Lorena was only a few feet from me, fangs bared, reaching for my throat. I knew instantly that Godric and Eric were just far enough away from me that she would reach me before they would. I felt the electric charge flowing through me once again, and decided to just let instinct guide me. As Lorena reached me, I turned to put my hands on her waist, whipped around, and used her own momentum to propel her past me. She flew through the air, until, miraculously, her body slammed into a nearby tree. Her eyes widened in horror as she looked down to see a branch protruding from chest. She screamed once more, and then her voice was silenced, and would remain that way forever.

**6 MONTHS LATER**

Eric was sitting on the ground, his back up against a boulder, wearing nothing but a pair of jeans. I sat between his legs, my back pressed to his chest, as my fingers mindlessly drew circles on his thighs. He chuckled softly as I allowed my hand move higher up on his leg and squeeze. "Have I told you this evening how beautiful you are?" He whispered in my ear.

"Yes, you have."

"Have I told you desirable you are?"

"Yes, you have."

"Have I told you how much I love you?"

I turned to face him. "Yes, you have, but you can say it again if you want!" He laughed and pulled me to him and kissed me deeply.

"I love you," he said, pulling his mouth from mine.

"And I love you." I laid my head on his shoulder, basking in his love.

There was a large THWUMP sound as Godric landed on the ground just next to us, also clad in nothing but jeans. "I swear Sookie, only you would decide to vacation the one place where it was practically impossible to find a cellular signal." I grinned, but held my tongue.

"What news from Pam?" Eric asked him.

"The construction is complete. The concrete should be dry by the time we return, so, we should be able to move right in the moment we get back to Louisiana."

Eric nodded, and placed his hand on my back, absently rubbing circles between my shoulder blades.

I took a moment to reflect on all that had happened since that night in New Orleans. The Magister had named Godric as the new King of Louisiana. Godric, however, said he would refuse to rule unless he was able to choose where to set up his headquarters, and the Magister agreed. We'd arranged for a large, very secure complex to be built on the land that my Gran's house had once been on.

Eric and Godric eventually had introduced me to the man I now know to be my Great-Grandfather. Niall's tale of how I was descended from Fae royalty was hard to swallow at first, but, with my Vampires by my side, I came to accept the knowledge as the truth. I was still learning to yield my new strengths and powers that were given to me with Niall's spell, and I was becoming more and more confident in my abilities.

With a smile, I pulled myself from Eric's arms and stood, walking away from them both. I pulled my shirt over my head, revealing my bikini-clad body. I took a moment to enjoy the way the water reflected the moon so perfectly, before diving in. Once I surfaced, I pulled my bottoms off and threw them on the shore, and they were quickly followed by my top.

"_Aren't you going to join me_?" I asked as seductively as I could. Faster than I thought was possible, they removed their pants and were diving into the water. I smiled, delighted that I would finally be able to enjoy my lake in Hawaii with the two men I loved.

**THE END**

**A/N A huge thanks to JenniferAnn B, vikinglass25, and sunkisz for being my sounding board for this story, and harping on me when I slacked off on my updates. I love you all. MWAH!!!**


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